Currently we add images to our pages using the img element, we tend to add fancy bits of video or wizzy and exciting flash using the applet element. So why do we need the object element?

The object element introduced as part of HTML 4, and is designed to be used for all instances when we want to embed a generic object - such as a flash movie, or a video or an image - into a web page.

That's all very well but what's it got to do with accessibility? Well the fantastic thing about the Object elements is that you can use it to provide lots of alternative presentations of your content - you are not confined to providing a simple text equivalent - as you are for when using the img tag.

For example, you want to provide a Quicktime video on a web page - but it turns out that some browsers don't have the support for Quicktime - so you can specify that a mpeg movie be played instead, or some other alternative format. If the mpeg movie isn't supported you can specify that a text transcription should be used - and so on.

To add the fun - for browsers that don't support the object element you can provide the embed element within the object element as yet another alternative method of delivering your multi-media.

So there you go; the object element is a kind of Swiss army knife (so to speak) you can add to your web accessibility tool box.

Date Submitted: Tuesday, 22 March 2005