Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5 - Section 508 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template

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

(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 with Exceptions

Keyboard commands are provided for many options. Toolbar and context menu items can be accessed through the standard menu bar. However, some commands and functions are not usable from the keyboard alone including:

Most features related to timeline manipulation, artboard content, and the heads up display.

Many panels, such as those in the layers, library, wireframe components, interactions, and properties, cannot be accessed without using a mouse. Once focus is within a panel, many - but not all - user interface components can be controlled using the keyboard. In particular keyboard access within lists, combo boxes, color choosers, and switching between pages tabs/accordions is limited.

(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 with minor Exceptions.

Flash Catalyst does not interfere with or deactivate the accessibility features of the operating system with one minor exception.

The caret blink rate and caret thickness set in the operating system are not conveyed in many portions of Flash Catalyst.

(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 with Exceptions

There is a clear indication of focus for most focusable elements. However, focus events are often not programmatically exposed.

(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.

Does Not Support

Many controls and features of the Flash Catalyst CS5 interface do not provide identity, role, and state information to assistive technology.

Some user interface elements such as menus, standard dialogs, the code view, and project navigator do expose information about the identity of the control to users of 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

(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.

Does Not Support

Many of the panels and elements used in the application do not expose textual information through the operating system or through an accessibility application programming interface (API).

Some panels and elements such as the menu bar, standard dialogs, non-editable code view and project navigator do properly expose textual information through the operating system.

(g) Applications shall not override user-selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes.

Does Sot Support

Many of the user interface elements within Flash Catalyst CS5 do not follow the color and contrast settings specified in the operating system.

Some elements do follow high contrast mode including the menu bar, code view, panels (except for page tabs), and standard operating system dialogs.

(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

Flash Catalyst CS5 does not use animation in the user interface.

(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 with Minor Exceptions

Color coding is not used as the only means to convey information with some minor exceptions including:

Color is used to highlight the current state/page and used to indicate the length of transitions in the timeline. While the actual color itself is irrelevant and the user is not required to distinguish between colors, there is no textual equivalent for users who can not see that color is used to indicate selection.

(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.

Not Applicable

Flash Catalyst CS5 does not allow users to change color contrast settings.

(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

Flash Catalyst CS5 does not use flashing or blinking text in the user interface.

(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.

Does Not Support

Many of the panels and user interface elements used through out the application that contain form fields do not expose identity information about the form elements to assistive technology.

Some form components such as the non-editable code view and standard operating system dialogs do provide form fields that can effectively be used by users of assistive technology.

(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt," "longdesc," or in element content).

Supports with Exceptions

Flash Catalyst CS5 allows authors to assign equivalents to images and components using an accessible text field.

Flash Catalyst does not directly allow the user to set an accessible name for the Flash content as a whole. In addition, the accessible names for sub-components of the scrollbar component are not provided. Attributes such as bold, underline, and italics in Text and TextInput components are not automatically indicated textually. While an accessible name can be set for components a supplementary accessible description can not be set.

(b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation.

Supports with Exceptions

Flash Catalyst CS5 provides a video player component; however, captions must either be pre-embedded in the multimedia or synchronized in Flash Builder 4 as this option is not available directly from Flash Catalyst. Audio descriptions can be added to multimedia by providing separate media with secondary audio or by adding support for this using Flash Builder 4.

(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

The Flash Catalyst CS5 interface provides an authoring environment that allows means other than color to convey information.

(d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.

Not applicable

CSS is not used in Flash Catalyst CS5 output.

(e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map.

Not applicable

Flash Catalyst CS5 does not generate 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

Flash Catalyst CS5 does not generate client-side image maps.

(g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables.

Not Applicable

Flash Catalyst CS5 does contain a data table component.

(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

Flash Catalyst CS5 does contain a data table component.

(i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation.

Not applicable

Flash Catalyst CS5 does not create 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

Flash Catalyst CS5 enables the creation of content that avoids these thresholds.

(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 can create text-only versions of their content.

(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

Scripting is automatically generated by the tool and cannot directly be edited in Flash Catalyst. Accessible text is provided through the AccessibilityName property in ActionScript and the element type is converted into an equivalent accessible role that is understood by assistive technology.

(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

A Flash Player plug-in is available for download from the Adobe site. A link to the plug-in can be added when content is published.

(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

Flash Catalyst CS5 provides a set of accessible components such as text fields, buttons, lists, radio buttons, checkboxes, toggle buttons, sliders, and scrollbars. Each component provides the necessary information to assistive technology.

The Video Player component contains individual controls that are also accessible to assistive technology.

For custom controls, accessibility information can be provided using the Accessible Text field and the accessible role is derived from the type of the base component before becoming a custom component such as a graphic or button.

The reading order of graphics and text can not be specified in relation to other content. Portions of scrollbars appear in the incorrect reading order in relation to other content.

User interface elements do not follow the color and contrast settings with the operating system. Thus, developers must create alternative views with different color schemes in order to provide a variety of color contrast options to users with visual impairments.

(o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links.

Supports

Button controls and links can be used to move focus beyond a group of controls or links.

(p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required.

Supports

Flash Catalyst authors can implement alert messages that allow users to extend a time limit if content is timed.

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

Flash Catalyst CS5 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

Flash Catalyst CS5 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

Closed captions can be embedded in multimedia content displayed by the VideoPlayer component.

(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

Audio descriptions can be provided for streaming media.

(e) Display or presentation of alternate text presentation or audio descriptions shall be user-selectable unless permanent.

Supports

When captions are embedded, they are provided permanently.

(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.

Does Not Support (Application)

Supports with Exceptions (Flash Based Output)

Users who are visually impaired typically use the keyboard to access an application's user interface. These users also rely on interface elements properly exposing identity information such as the name, role, value, and state of elements to assistive technology.

Application:
Most content authoring actions cannot be performed with a screen reader.
Many controls in the interface cannot be accessed with a screen reader.

Flash Based Output:
Form controls can be made accessible to users of screen readers. Reading order, tab order, and accessible names can be assigned to components. The role, value, and state of components are exposed to assistive technology.

The reading order of content can not be directly set in Flash Catalyst for graphics and text.

(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 with Exceptions (Application)

Supports with Minor Exceptions (Flash Based Output)

Users with low vision typically use operating system or assistive technology based enhancements for text, background, mouse, and caret size/color.

Application:
Focus is indicated visually, but not always exposed programmatically. Keyboard access is limited. Many portions of the application do not follow the color and contrast setting of the operating system.

Flash Based Output
All elements can be made focusable, which is indicated through a clear highlight box and programmatic focus. All components can be made keyboard accessible. By default components do not follow the color and contrast settings of the operating system. However, developers can create additional components with different color contrast settings to meet the needs of users with visual impairments.

(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 (Application)

Supports (Flash Based Output)

Application

Flash Catalyst does not use sound.

Flash Based Output
Flash Catalyst CS5 allows captions to be embedded in multimedia..

Visual cues can be applied manually as alternatives for sound cues.

(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 (Flash Player Plug-in)

Supports (Flash Based Output)

Application

Flash Catalyst does not use sound.

Flash Based Output
Flash Catalyst CS5 allows captions to be embedded in multimedia.

Visual cues can be applied manually as alternatives for sound cues.

(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 (Application)

Supports (Flash Based Output)

Application

Flash Catalyst does not require speech.

Flash Based Content

Content developers of speech based application need to provide a non-speech based alternative.

(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.

Does Not Support (Application)

Supports (Flash Based Output)

Users with mobility impairments often rely off of the keyboard or use assistive technologies that emulate the keyboard or mouse.

Application
Content editing often requires fine motor controls using a mouse, or a combination of multiple keys and a mouse. Many user interface screens can not be accessed solely via the keyboard.

Flash Based Content

Standard Flash components provide keyboard focus to the component and provide keyboard access within the component.

(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 LiveCycle products is available in a variety of formats and from a number of online sources available from Adobe.