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The purpose of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template is to assist Federal contracting officials in making preliminary assessments regarding the availability of commercial Electronic and Information Technology products and services with features that support accessibility. It is assumed that offerers will provide additional contact information to facilitate more detailed inquiries.
The first table of the Template provides a summary view of the section 508 Standards. The subsequent tables provide more detailed views of each subsection. There are three columns in each table. Column one of the Summary Table describes the subsections of subparts B and C of the Standards. The second column describes the supporting features of the product or refers you to the corresponding detailed table, "e.g., equivalent facilitation." The third column contains any additional remarks and explanations regarding the product. In the subsequent tables, the first column contains the lettered paragraphs of the subsections. The second column describes the supporting features of the product with regard to that paragraph. The third column contains any additional remarks and explanations regarding the product.
Date: June 20, 2008
Name of product: Adobe® Flex® 3 SDK
Contact for more information: access@adobe.com
Summary Table
Guideline |
Applicable |
Compliance |
Section 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems |
Applicable |
Supports with exceptions |
Section 1194.22 Web-Based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications |
Applicable |
Supports with exceptions |
Section 1194.23 Telecommunications Products |
Not applicable |
- |
Section 1194.24 Video and Multimedia Products |
Applicable |
Supports |
Section 1194.25 Self-Contained, Closed Products |
Not applicable |
- |
Section 1194.26 Desktop and Portable Computers |
Not applicable |
- |
Section 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria |
Applicable |
Supports with exceptions |
Section 1194.41 Information, Documentation, and Support |
Applicable |
Supports |
Section 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems — Detail
Criteria |
Supporting features |
Remarks and explanations |
(a) When software is designed to run on a system that has a keyboard, product functions shall be executable from a keyboard where the function itself or the result of performing a function can be discerned textually. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that components they create in Flex support keyboard accessibility |
(b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features, where those features are developed and documented according to industry standards. Applications also shall not disrupt or disable activated features of any operating system that are identified as accessibility features where the application programming interface for those accessibility features has been documented by the manufacturer of the operating system and is available to the product developer. |
Supports |
Flex does not disrupt other applications' accessibility features. |
(c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that Assistive Technology can track focus and focus changes. |
Supports |
Flex supports onscreen indication of current focus, and uses the focus manager in Adobe Flash to expose focus programmatically. Authors need to ensure that components they develop in Flex also utilize onscreen indicators and respect focus changes. |
(d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation, and state of the element shall be available to Assistive Technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text. |
Supports with Exceptions |
Some components in the Flex API do not support assistive technology. |
(e) When bitmap images are used to identify controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements, the meaning assigned to those images shall be consistent throughout an application's performance. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(f) Textual information shall be provided through operating system functions for displaying text. The minimum information that shall be made available is text content, text input caret location, and text attributes. |
Supports with Exceptions |
Some components do not expose all text attributes to assistive technology |
(g) Applications shall not override user-selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes. |
Does Not Support |
Adobe Flex 3 does not check user-selected contrast and color. |
(h) When animation is displayed, the information shall be displayable in at least one non-animated presentation mode at the option of the user. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(i) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(j) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a variety of color selections capable of producing a range of contrast levels shall be provided. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(k) Software shall not use flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(l) When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow people using Assistive Technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues. |
Supports with exceptions |
Some form controls do not support assistive technology. Authors need to ensure that components used in forms are accessible. |
Section 1194.22 Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications — Detail
Criteria |
Supporting features |
Remarks and explanations |
(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt," "longdesc," or in element content). |
Supports |
Text equivalents may be applied to all Flex components. |
(b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet. |
Not applicable |
Flex does not apply style sheets to documents. |
(e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map. |
Not applicable |
Flex does not support server-side image maps. |
(f) Client-side image maps shall be provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape. |
Not applicable |
Flex does not support server-side image maps. |
(g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(h) Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers. |
Not applicable |
Flex does not support multi—level tabular data. |
(i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation. |
Not applicable |
Flex does not support frames. |
(j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(k) A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a web site comply with the provisions of this part, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by Assistive Technology. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(m) When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in, or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies with §1194.21(a) through (l). |
Supports |
Flex requires Adobe Flash Player, which complies with §1194.21(a) through (l). |
(n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using Assistive Technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues. |
Supports with exceptions |
Some form controls do not support assistive technology. Authors need to ensure that components used in forms are accessible. |
(o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
Note to 1194.22: The Board interprets paragraphs (a) through (k) of this section as consistent with the following Priority 1 checkpoints of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) (May 5, 1999) published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium: Paragraph (a) – 1.1, (b) – 1.4, (c) – 2.1, (d) – 6.1, (e) – 1.2, (f) – 9.1, (g) – 5.1, (h) – 5.2, (i) – 12.1, (j) – 7.1, (k) – 11.4.
Section 1194.24 Video and Multimedia Products — Detail
Criteria |
Supporting features |
Remarks and explanations |
a) All analog television displays 13 inches and larger, and computer equipment that includes analog television receiver or display circuitry, shall be equipped with caption decoder circuitry which appropriately receives, decodes, and displays closed captions from broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals. As soon as practicable, but not later than July 1, 2002, widescreen digital television (DTV) displays measuring at least 7.8 inches vertically, DTV sets with conventional displays measuring at least 13 inches vertically, and stand-alone DTV tuners, whether or not they are marketed with display screens, and computer equipment that includes DTV receiver or display circuitry, shall be equipped with caption decoder circuitry which appropriately receives, decodes, and displays closed captions from broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals. |
Not applicable |
Adobe Flex 3 SDK does not include any display hardware. |
(b) Television tuners, including tuner cards for use in computers, shall be equipped with secondary audio program playback circuitry. |
Not applicable |
Adobe Flex 3 SDK does not include any television tuner hardware. |
(c) All training and informational video and multimedia productions which support the agency's mission, regardless of format, that contain speech or other audio information necessary for the comprehension of the content, shall be open or closed captioned. |
Supports |
|
(d) All training and informational video and multimedia productions which support the agency's mission, regardless of format, that contain visual information necessary for the comprehension of the content, shall be audio described. |
Supports |
|
(e) Display or presentation of alternate text presentation or audio descriptions shall be user-selectable unless permanent. |
Supports |
|
Section 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria — Detail
Criteria |
Supporting features |
Remarks and explanations |
(a) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for Assistive Technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided. |
Supports with Exceptions |
Some Flex components do not support assistive technology. |
(b) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be provided in audio and enlarged print output working together or independently, or support for Assistive Technology used by people who are visually impaired shall be provided. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(c) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for Assistive Technology used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be provided. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(d) Where audio information is important for the use of a product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be provided in an enhanced auditory fashion, or support for assistive hearing devices shall be provided. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
(e) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user speech shall be provided, or support for Assistive Technology used by people with disabilities shall be provided. |
Supports |
Adobe Flex does not require user speech. |
(f) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions and that is operable with limited reach and strength shall be provided. |
Supports |
Authors need to ensure that this requirement is met. |
Section 1194.41 Information, Documentation, and Support — Detail
Criteria |
Supporting features |
Remarks and explanations |
(a) Product support documentation provided to end-users shall be made available in alternate formats upon request, at no additional charge. |
Supports |
Adobe provides electronic versions of all product support documentation. |
(b) End-users shall have access to a description of the accessibility and compatibility features of products in alternate formats or alternate methods upon request, at no additional charge. |
Supports |
Adobe provides information on accessibility features in the documentation. Electronic versions of all product support documentation are provided. |
(c) Support services for products shall accommodate the communication needs of end-users with disabilities. |
Supports |
Product support for Adobe products is available in a variety of formats and from a number of online sources available from Adobe Systems. |