On 26/03/2008, at 11:30 PM, Steve Green wrote:
No it can't. Flash content that is embedded using techniques such as
UFO and
SWFObject is not visible to screen readers - they don't even know it's
there. If the content is important, you need to provide an accessible
alternative.
If you're going to be embedding flash using SWFObject then you'll be
able to provide alternative content for users without the flash
browser plug-in or javascript enabled. This means that screen readers
and spiders will be able to read the alternative content.
Typically, flash banners contain animations; but there isn't any
reason why a single, static frame couldn't be displayed as alternative
content. If you're going to display an image, you could potentially
use alternate text. That said, if it's purely presentational you're
better off not including alternate text (Alt=""). In contrast, you
might want to use a parent div and apply a background image to that
using CSS for the alternative content.
SWFObject is a safe and accessible method for embedding flash content.
However, you should be aware that the WCAG discourages animations from
playing without user intervention first (That is, the user selects
play).
Cheers,
Tate
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