The following tests examine how screen readers read Flash objects.
These examples use the HTML object element to embed a Flash movie object. In each case, the HTML object element also has text content (consisting of the text "Object Content").
The Flash movie contains a single MovieClip object. The movie name ("Flash Movie Name") & description ("Flash Movie Description") and movieclip name ("Flash MovieClip Name") & description ("Flash MovieClip Description") are all set within the Flash movie. Except as noted, the Flash "make movie accessible" and "make child objects accessible" settings are on, and the object's "wmode" parameter is not set.
Test 1: "Make movie accessible" off
Expected
"Object content"
Results
JAWS 12: "Flash Start. Flash End."
JAWS 10 & 11: "Flash Movie Start. Flash Movie End."
WE 7.01: nothing
BrowseAloud 6: nothing
Test 2: "Make movie accessible" on, "Make child objects accessible" off
Expected
"Flash Movie Name, Flash Movie Description"
Results
JAWS 12: "Flash Start. Flash Movie Name. Flash End."
JAWS 10 & 11: "Flash Movie Start. Flash Movie End."
WE 7.01: nothing
BrowseAloud 6: "Flash Movie Name" (only once per page load, hover only)
Test 3: Default ("Make movie accessible" & "Make child objects accessible" on)
Expected
"Flash Movie Name, Flash Movie Description, Flash MovieClip Name, Flash MovieClip Description."
JAWS 11: "Flash Movie Start. Graphic, Flash MovieClip Description. Flash Movie End."
JAWS 10: nothing
WE 7.01: "Object content."
BrowseAloud 6: nothing
Test 7: Missing movie/data file
Expected
"Object content"
Results
JAWS 12: "Flash Start. Flash End."
JAWS 10 & 11: "Flash Movie Start. Flash Movie End."
WE 7.01: nothing
BrowseAloud 6: nothing
Test 8: Unknown classid/type (e.g., as if Flash Player not installed)
Expected
"Object content"
Results
JAWS 10, 11 & 12: "Object content."
WE 7.01: "Object content."
BrowseAloud 6: "Object content."
Conclusions
Object content does not reliably serve as "alternate text"; there does not appear to be a way to force screen readers to read object content.
There does not appear to be a way to make JAWS 11 or 12 completely ignore a Flash object.
Only JAWS 12 reads the Flash Movie Name, and no screen reader tested reads the Flash Movie Description.
All screen readers tested read the MovieClip (child object) Name and Description, but if both Name and Description are used, JAWS reads only the Description.
Setting wmode to opaque or transparent, makes the Flash object inaccessible to JAWS 10 and Window-Eyes 7.01.