Niqui Merret
Bio
Niqui has been a Macromedia instructor in digital design applications for over 8 years, and has been a regular speaker at MMUG meetings in both South Africa and the UK. She has also contributed articles to the Macromedia MX Developers Journal and was previously the Macromedia Director Section Editor for the magazine.
Niqui was one of the earliest eLearning developers in South Africa and her HIV/AIDS product is being used by many South African companies to educate staff on prevention and assisting those living with AIDS in extending their life expectancy, as well as maintaining quality of life. She has also spent time in Mozambique where she assisted UNESCO in compiling an eLearning project on Malaria.
Niqui currently runs a small development studio in Surrey. She is particularly passionate about ensuring accessibility and usability on multiple devices. She is currently examining standards for Flash developers with regard to accessibility and usability, with a view to contributing substantially to the debate.
Session
Accessible Flash: Oxymoron?
Contrary to popular belief, making a Flash movie accessible to a wider selection of users does not require cartwheels and back flips.
A few basic usability and accessibility considerations can take your movie to the next level and reach a wider audience. The most basic step of embedding a SWF into a page incorrectly could cause a screen-reader to hang.
This session will take a cause and effect look at accessibility.
Niqui will cover visual, audio, mobility and cognitive disabilities and how Flash can help or hinder access.
As the effects of having an inaccessible site are not always apparent to companies and developers, Niqui will cover the potential losses and gains for everyone involved.