Storyline applies incorrect Alt text on options in Freeform quiz slide

Dec 11, 2014

I've stumbled upon another Accessibility issue with Storyline. When I create a button on any screen, and let's say I set the Alt text on the button to be 'Purple', a screen reader will read out the button as 'Purple button'. 

However, when I create a freeform quiz slide (I was using the 'Pick one' variety) using images on the screen as the items to be selected, it reads the same item out as 'Purple radio button', even though it is not a radio button; it is an image. 

It seems that no matter what I set the Alt text to be, it will always add 'radio button' to the end. Has anyone else experienced this bug, and are there any workarounds for this issue? 

5 Replies
Kuriko A

Hi Ashley, 

Sorry I assumed your QA team would be able to replicate this quite easily. Anyway, I just did the steps that I mentioned in my initial post and created the simple story file attached. I created two shapes in the 'Pick one' freeform quiz template – a square and a circle. The Alt text for the two objects are 'Square' and 'Circle' respectively.

I then opened up my screen reader software. I use NVDA software but I assume your development team would have their own screen reader for testing purposes. However, the screen reader reads the two options as 'Square radio button' and 'Circle radio button' even though clearly they are not radio buttons – they are shapes.  

I also tested it in Storyline 2, and the same issue occurs. Please refer to files attached. 

I hope the QA team are able to look into this now that I have prepared these samples. 

Thanks

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Kuriko,

We typically test in JAWS although the NVDA screen reader will work with many aspects of Storyline content, it isn't officially supported at this time.  

I hear the same thing when testing your file in Storyline 2 using JAWS and IE11, and it seems to be based on the fact that when using the freeform interaction those elements are assigned a "radio button" in the question element and that's how it's being read by the screen reader. 

Kuriko A

Hi Ashley, 

Thank you for testing and confirming the issue. Obviously, it is not an issue with NVDA as it behaves the same with your JAWS screen reader. So I guess the fact that NVDA is not supported is irrelevant in this instance. 

Can you now please respond with what is being done about this bug?

To be clear, the bug is that "It makes no logical sense that a freeform image or shape should be called a 'radio button'." 

Thanks.

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Kuriko,

I shared the behavior and your sample files with our QA team this morning so that they could investigate it further, but I don't have any additional information to share at this time. I'll update this thread once there is information to share, and you'll want to stay subscribed to this thread so that you'll receive those updates via email. 

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