Hi Ross,

The menu problem with www.7oaks.org is actually quite simple. Flash is
being used on this page to generate a "welcome" animation, which
sequentially presents the phrase "Welcome To" in various languages. To
make this accessible, the authors would need to learn and practice
accessible Flash design, although screen reader support for multiple
languages would still be a limitation in this case). While this
animation is somewhat cool, I think the greater need is for the menus to
be accessible, and they are not created using Flash.

The horizontal menu bar ("Community Info", "School Info", etc.) is
created using images ("menu1.gif", "menu2.gif", etc.). To make these
accessible, they simply need to add ALT text.

There is an added problem: When a user mouses over any of these menu
images, a dropdown menu appears. This is done with Javascript, and is
not accessible. However, if ALT text is added to the primary root level
menu items ("Community Info"), screen reader users could select that
item and access the submenu from a secondary page. Currently clicking on
the root level menus goes nowhere, so the authors would need to build
these secondary pages and be sure the root level menu items link to
them.

All of this is basic accessible HTML - much simpler than making Flash
accessible.

Hope that helps!

Terry Thompson
AccessIT/DO-IT
The University of Washington
Email: [log in to unmask]
Voice: 206-221-4168
TTY: 206-685-3648
Fax: 206-221-4171
www.washington.edu/accessit
www.washington.edu/doit

>-----Original Message-----
>From: * EASI: Equal Access to Software & Information
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ross Eadie
>Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 8:13 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: "invisible" .swf buttons and screen readers
>
>
>Hi Rosemary,
>
>You seem to have a lot of experience with the new Flash
>accessibility.  Is
>there some documentation I can get for free, explaining how to
>impliment
>the accessibility features?  If I am put into a position of writing an
>email message or letter, it is important to refer the site maintenance
>people to the potential solution.
>
>In fact, I am dealing with a problematic web page at
www.7oaks.org  This
school board site is using Flash to present a dynamic interface.  I
currently sit on the Board as a Trustee, and I am trying to advise the
web
site people on how to find a solution to the problems.

The menu links at the top of the page do not work properly when Flash
events is shut off in Window Eyes 4.2.  The links at the bottom of the
page
are straight HTML links to the same pages as a partial solution for now.
My combination of browser and voice output (IE 5.05 and WE4.2) treats
the
top menu links like references to the current page that is active on the
screen.  I thought it might be a problem related to server side
ismapping,
but I am not sure now with your explanation on the .swf buttons.  Any
help
would be very much appreciated.

---
Ross Eadie
Voice:  (204) 339-5287