Summary

Flash used to be a barrier to accessing Web content for users with disabilities. The release of Flash MX changed this situation by including support for accessibility. What used to be a barrier has turned into an opportunity for making advanced Internet features available to users with disabilities.

Unfortunately, our studies of how users with disabilities use websites have found that it is not sufficient that a website is accessible from a technical perspective. It also needs to be easy to use, even for users with disabilities who use assistive technology and thus have a different user experience than people who use mainstream browsers. Usability and accessibility go hand in hand, and one without the other is not much use in the real world. If something is too difficult to use or if users get lost all the time, they won't benefit much.

The present report includes our early findings on the usability of Flash for users with disabilities, based on testing four websites. The report is based on fewer cases than we usually like to include in our reports, but we are publishing it anyway in order to help establish good practices from the beginning for usable Flash design for users with disabilities.

The report contains findings and user quotes from early usability research on how users with disabilities use Flash designs on the Web. Our tests have identified 21 design guidelines that will help designers make their Flash designs easier to use for users with disabilities.

> Read Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox about the findings
 

Table of Contents

This is the table of contents for the 33 pages of the report that cover our accessibility study. This material was originally published as a separate report, but is now included as a segment in the full report on RIA usability.

1. Executive Summary
2. Overview
3. General Findings from the Study
4. Guidelines
5. Testing
   • One guideline
6. User Control
   • 10 guidelines
7. Graphics and Visuals
   • 10 guidelines
8. Participants
9. Tasks and Websites
10. About the Authors
11. Acknowledgements

Sites Tested

• California Pizza Kitchen (restaurant chain; location finder)
• LeeFit (jeans; personalizing fit)
• Tiffany & Co. (jewelry store; e-commerce)
• Timbuk2 (customized messenger bags; e-commerce)

This report is based on testing of fewer sites than we usually include in our studies, and we do not expect the study to have identified all usability issues with making Flash-based sites easier for users with disabilities.

We are publishing these early findings in order to help set the direction for accessible Flash design while there is still time to impact the first generations of such sites.
 

Who Should Read This Report?

• Anybody who designs Flash sites or tools and wants to make them easier to use for users with disabilities.
• Intranet designers who are planning Flash-based applications in companies with equal opportunity policies
• Executives responsible for accessibility strategy or policy.

Download Report (9 MB, free download)