Comments on: RIA - Rich Internet Accessibility? http://www.afhill.com/blog/2007/07/15/ria-rich-internet-accessibility/ Accessibility, Social Media, Online Branding, User-Centered Design -- Web Development isn't all about code anymore! Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:59:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Andrea http://www.afhill.com/blog/2007/07/15/ria-rich-internet-accessibility/#comment-5540 Andrea Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:56:03 +0000 http://www.afhill.com/blog/2007/07/15/ria-rich-internet-accessibility/#comment-5540 @John: thanks for your comment. I'd just as soon have it posted here, anyway! After I asked about MSAA I did a bit of research and saw it was a platform, not a browser, solution, so that alleviated some of my concerns, thanks. I am really intrigued by the fact that flash can detect a screenreader, that seems like something that web developers of non-rich (poor? ;) ) applications have been trying to do for a long time. I'm torn as to whether or not it is a good thing -- I still hold fast to the idea that we should 'dumb down' sites for users of assistive technology. That being said, a former colleague brought up a good point: we develop user interfaces based on a visual mental model: the page metaphor, etc. Non-sighted users would not share the same model, so perhaps there is a better way to present information. Ah, so much to consider... @John:
thanks for your comment. I’d just as soon have it posted here, anyway! After I asked about MSAA I did a bit of research and saw it was a platform, not a browser, solution, so that alleviated some of my concerns, thanks.
I am really intrigued by the fact that flash can detect a screenreader, that seems like something that web developers of non-rich (poor? ;) ) applications have been trying to do for a long time. I’m torn as to whether or not it is a good thing — I still hold fast to the idea that we should ‘dumb down’ sites for users of assistive technology. That being said, a former colleague brought up a good point: we develop user interfaces based on a visual mental model: the page metaphor, etc. Non-sighted users would not share the same model, so perhaps there is a better way to present information.

Ah, so much to consider…

]]> By: John Dowdell http://www.afhill.com/blog/2007/07/15/ria-rich-internet-accessibility/#comment-5524 John Dowdell Tue, 17 Jul 2007 07:38:47 +0000 http://www.afhill.com/blog/2007/07/15/ria-rich-internet-accessibility/#comment-5524 Hi, I saw your question in comments at Ryan's blog, but CNET requires membership to comment there, so I'm commenting here.... ;-) <em>" I did have a question about flex/flash accessibility -- my understanding is that it leverages MSAA (Microsoft Active Accessibility), so if you're running another browser, you're out of luck. Am I mistaken?"</em> The text-to-speech process in Adobe Flash Player uses the Microsoft Active Accessibility API, so it must be used on Windows, but people who use JAWS and Window Eyez and other renderers for that API should be able to use any capable browser -- to my memory, it's not an IE-only thing. (In practice, a lot depends on versioning of the screenreader -- it's been uneven support over the years.) Bottom line is that standard screenreader setups will work for SWF as they do for HTML. Text-to-speech is only one small part of making a network experience, clear, useful, and accessible to the widest reasonable percentage of the world, though. Video can reach many people whose English skills are low, for instance. But those are separate issues. jd/adobe Hi, I saw your question in comments at Ryan’s blog, but CNET requires membership to comment there, so I’m commenting here…. ;-)

” I did have a question about flex/flash accessibility — my understanding is that it leverages MSAA (Microsoft Active Accessibility), so if you’re running another browser, you’re out of luck. Am I mistaken?”

The text-to-speech process in Adobe Flash Player uses the Microsoft Active Accessibility API, so it must be used on Windows, but people who use JAWS and Window Eyez and other renderers for that API should be able to use any capable browser — to my memory, it’s not an IE-only thing. (In practice, a lot depends on versioning of the screenreader — it’s been uneven support over the years.) Bottom line is that standard screenreader setups will work for SWF as they do for HTML.

Text-to-speech is only one small part of making a network experience, clear, useful, and accessible to the widest reasonable percentage of the world, though. Video can reach many people whose English skills are low, for instance. But those are separate issues.

jd/adobe

]]> By: » Rich Internet Applications, SEO and Accessibility | The Universal Desktop | ZDNet.com http://www.afhill.com/blog/2007/07/15/ria-rich-internet-accessibility/#comment-5421 » Rich Internet Applications, SEO and Accessibility | The Universal Desktop | ZDNet.com Mon, 16 Jul 2007 01:24:35 +0000 http://www.afhill.com/blog/2007/07/15/ria-rich-internet-accessibility/#comment-5421 [...] sure Rich Internet Applications have the same level of accessibility as any other web application. Andrea Hill focuses on accessibility and she has been diving into RIAs lately. She’s taken note of the [...] [...] sure Rich Internet Applications have the same level of accessibility as any other web application. Andrea Hill focuses on accessibility and she has been diving into RIAs lately. She’s taken note of the [...]

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