Comments on: JAWS In Forms Mode http://blackwidows.co.uk/blog/2006/10/11/jaws-in-forms-mode/ The meanderings of a black widow... Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:43:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: dotjay http://blackwidows.co.uk/blog/2006/10/11/jaws-in-forms-mode/#comment-4182 dotjay Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:29:31 +0000 http://blackwidows.co.uk/blog/?p=73#comment-4182 I've recently been testing a few things with JAWS 7.10 and I can confirm that only formelements are read out <em>if</em> the screen reader is left in forms mode. If you type something in a field and then leave forms mode to continue, the additional text provided in, say, a paragraph, is read out. The problem is that requires jumping in and out of forms mode. If you're in forms mode and you decide to jump to the next form field when you are done, you will miss out anything that is not a form field with an associated label or fieldset legend. There's been similar testing on Access Matters recently: <a href="http://www.access-matters.com/2006/08/27/quiz-speaking-forms-labels-part-4/" rel="nofollow">Quiz: Speaking forms labels - part 4</a> I’ve recently been testing a few things with JAWS 7.10 and I can confirm that only formelements are read out if the screen reader is left in forms mode. If you type something in a field and then leave forms mode to continue, the additional text provided in, say, a paragraph, is read out. The problem is that requires jumping in and out of forms mode. If you’re in forms mode and you decide to jump to the next form field when you are done, you will miss out anything that is not a form field with an associated label or fieldset legend.

There’s been similar testing on Access Matters recently: Quiz: Speaking forms labels - part 4

]]> By: Grant Broome http://blackwidows.co.uk/blog/2006/10/11/jaws-in-forms-mode/#comment-4012 Grant Broome Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:38:12 +0000 http://blackwidows.co.uk/blog/?p=73#comment-4012 Mel, I've just tested the forms with JAWS 7.0 With forms mode off (default behaviour when tabbing), both forms miss out the information after the edit boxes. With forms mode on, the information after the edit boxes is only read in the second form. So I would say your supposition is correct. There is no explicit relationship between the plain text and the form control. Therefore it is not read along with the label. Because of this issue I would include this help information in the label before the form to guarantee that it is included. Look to www.legalandgeneral.com for real-world examples. Mel, I’ve just tested the forms with JAWS 7.0

With forms mode off (default behaviour when tabbing), both forms miss out the information after the edit boxes.
With forms mode on, the information after the edit boxes is only read in the second form.
So I would say your supposition is correct. There is no explicit relationship between the plain text and the form control. Therefore it is not read along with the label. Because of this issue I would include this help information in the label before the form to guarantee that it is included. Look to http://www.legalandgeneral.com for real-world examples.

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