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RE: Flash interaction and screenreaders

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From: Andrew Kirkpatrick
Date: Aug 1, 2005 9:21AM

Yes, I was referring to access keys (sorry, i'm a newbie!)

I'm not entirely clear that you are. If the keyboard shortcuts are in
the Flash content, then you're not, but you will have many of the same
problems and frustrations that come with the use of the accesskey
attribute in HTML..

This brings me to wondering if its possible to make some interactions
accessible at all to users of screen readers who can only use a
keyboard. For example I could (hopefully!) make my menu system and other
interactions accessible to keyboard-only users, and I could make them
readable to screen readers. But does this issue of access key use by
screen readers mean that it isn't possible to make some interactions
accessible to both at once?

No, it doesn't mean that. It is preferable to have one version instead
of separate versions.

Bit of background: I'm involved in building highly interactive
elearning-type software in Flash. It simulates the windows desktop
environment and involves allowing users carry out almost the full range
of mouse and keyboard interaction types. It will be delivered in a web
browser.
>From what I understand so far though, I would have this same issue if I
was using technologies other than Flash. Right?

Yes, you would.
AWK
Andrew Kirkpatrick
Principal Accessibility Engineer, Macromedia
<EMAIL REMOVED>