Hiding Flash from the Screen Reader

We are using a flash movie to promote a Madonna video. What can we do to make it screen reader friendly?

Since the flash movie is basically a multi-media presentation that links to the actual Madonna video, the requirment is to provide a text alternative to the inaccessible visual presentation. One easy way to do this would be to hide the Flash movie and provide an HTML link wrapped around text that is hidden from the visual user. The text provides an alternative to the flash movie and it can be hidden from the visual user by moving it off the screen with CSS. See example below:

---

1. Hiding a Flash object from the screen reader **

• You can hide an object from the screen reader simply by turning off accessibility for the object. You should only hide objects that are repetitive or convey no content. When an object is hidden, the screen reader ignores the object.
• On the Stage, select the button or input text field you want to hide from the screen reader.
• Do one of the following:
  • Select Window > Properties if the inspector is not visible. In the Property inspector, click the Accessibility button.
  • Select Window > Other Panels > Accessibility.
• In the Accessibility panel, do one of the following:
  • If the object is a movie clip, button, text field, or another object, deselect Make Object Accessible.
  • If the object is the child of a movie clip, deselect Make Child Objects Accessible.

**Source: http://livedocs.macromedia.com/flash/mx2004/main_7_2/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=Flash_MX_2004&file=00000565.html

2. Creating alternative text that is hidden from the visual user by moving it off the screen with CSS.

<style>
.offScreen{
	position:absolute;
	overflow:hidden;
	width:1px;
	height:1px;
	top:-999px;
}
</style>
<a href=where to go" class="offScreen">See Madonna blah blah blah"</a>

---

• None