Access Keys – A Server-Side Solution!
Following on from the post on December 16th (Access Keys – A Potential Solution), there has been an almost immediate response in the form of a set of PHP scripts that should, simultaneously, allow users to set their own access keys and reveal any keys they have already set.
Access Keys – A Potential Solution?
There has been an almost continious debate within GAWDS on the role of access keys.
Grant Broome has argued strongly, in the past, that access keys could be an extremely important facility for some user groups. John Foliot, on the other hand, has focussed on the dangers of poorly-implemented accesskeys and concluded that they were probably best avoided.
My Wrist Hurts!
The wrist now appears to be recovering a little – thanks to two physiotherapy sessions per week – but I’m appalled by how much functionality I have lost.
In order for a hand grip to be classed as “functional”, it needs to be able to exert a pressure of 6kg. 4kgs, at the very outside. When my left hand grip was initially assessed, I managed a measly 2kg once and 1kg the rest of the time. No wonder I didn’t want to drive anywhere!
Avoiding Repetition In Lists Of Links
When linking to documents in proprietary formats (such as PDF documents), some pages present the link as:
“PDF Document name (300KB)”
On the face of it, there’s nothing wrong with that. The user is being presented with all of the necessary information – document format; document name and document size.
Now imagine you’re using a screenreader to read a list containing a dozen different links to PDF files.
Ordering Submission Buttons In Forms
When presenting users with multiple submission options within a form, what order should they be presented in?
Again, the issue appears to arise with keyboard navigators – who, of course, include screenreader users.
All users prefer to have access to the most important information on a web page first. Screenreaders users are no different in this respect. Likewise, sighted keyboard navigators find multiple keypresses very tedious when trying to TAB to a critical link or form control.
The Use Of Links Within Forms
The decision to present back buttons within multi-page forms as links instead of a form controls may create a potential issue for screenreader users and a consistent use of forms controls appears to be the solution.
JAWS has a Links List feature and a Forms mode. Buttons, like all other form controls appear in the forms mode dialogue but not in the links list. It has been suggested that, when using a screen reader, the user will probably expect to find a form’s “Back” and “Continue” buttons in the forms mode dialogue.