User Guide

26 Chapter 2: Create Accessible Flash Content

Follow this procedure to control the tab order and reading order using ActionScript:

In the Timeline, select Frame 1 of the Actions layer.

In the Actions panel (Window > Development Panels > Actions), view the ActionScript that

creates the tab index for each instance in the document.

If you’re using Flash MX 2004, or if you’re using Flash MX Professional 2004 and you did not

create the tab index using the Accessibility panel, delete the /* and */ in the script to un-

comment the script:

_root.logo_mc.tabIndex = 1;

_root.dealers_btn.tabIndex = 2;

_root.orders_btn.tabIndex = 3;

_root.research_btn.tabIndex = 4;

_root.text4_txt.tabIndex = 5;

_root.overview_btn.tabIndex = 6;

_root.powerplant_btn.tabIndex = 7;

_root.news_btn.tabIndex = 8;

_root.safety_mc.tabIndex = 9;

_root.text8_txt.tabIndex = 10;

_root.text9_txt.tabIndex = 11;

_root.bevel_mc.tabIndex = 12;

About testing your document with screen readers

You already know the importance of regularly testing your Flash document as you create it, to

ensure it performs as expected. Frequent testing is even more important when you design a

document to work with assistive technologies such as screen readers. In addition to testing tab

order in your SWF file, you should also test your tab order in various browsers; some browsers

differ in how the user tabs to or out of Flash content. For information about resources to test your

document with a screen reader, see “Testing accessible content” in Using Flash.

Summary

Congratulations on creating accessible Flash content. In a few minutes, you learned how to

accomplish the following tasks:

• Specify that your document be accessible to screen readers

• Provide a document title and description

• Provide a title and description for document instances

• Specify that screen readers ignore elements in your document

• Change static text to dynamic text for accessibility

• Control the order in which users navigate with the Tab key

• Control the reading order with ActionScript

Macromedia maintains an extensive website devoted to accessibility. For more information

about accessibility with Macromedia products, see the Macromedia accessibility website at