[Websg Meetup] Report: An accessible talking customer comment form for children: A specimen accessible Flash application

[Ivan Chew]

Hi all,
Not sure if I've shared this here before. Anyway, it was mentioned
about how Flash isn't Wed Standards Compliant. Some of you might find
this report of use. I'm just looking at the report from the angle of
library services to the disabled. Thought I'd get the "Web Standards"
perspective from the folks here. Thanks
Ivan

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Flash is the most widely available platform for delivering interactive
multimedia content on
the web, and as such has huge potential for creating engaging library
services that can
reach children. Whilst it cannot be ignored as a powerful tool for
reaching target
audiences, it has attracted some criticism for not being an accessible
format for disabled
people.

This pilot aimed to put these criticisms and Flash's accessibility
features to the test, by
creating a new children's web service. The aim was to demonstrate a
service that would
be enhanced specifically by using interactive multimedia and have a
real purpose, yet that
would also be accessible to disabled people using their preferred
access technologies.

An animated, talking customer comment form for young children was
chosen. This was
created and initially tested by library development staff. This was
then further assessed
independently with user testing by the Shaw Trust (Kennedy & Broome, 2006).
Professional testers with a range of different disabilities used the
form with their own
access technologies set up with their usual personal preferences.
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