RE: Request for site review

Dear Jim,

Thanks for your comments.

I didn't spot any links that were in onMouseOver content that were more than
one page away from the home page.  (1) My personal prejudice is strongly
against "text-only parallel sites" because (a) they really shouldn't be
necessary, (b) they are rarely truly parallel, (c) it fosters acceptance of
the idea of a "disability ghetto".  (2)  I don't see that an alternative
homepage, if that's all that is needed, would make things any better for a
screen reader user.

Current page, using onMouseOver:
Home Page -> onMouseOver sub-menu -> Target Page (one "click")

Current page, using screen reader or keyboard: (two "clicks")
Home Page -> sub-menu page -> Target Page

Alternative home page:
Home Page -> "text-only" page -> Target Page (two "clicks")

What is the advantage?  Add to this the problem that the "text-only" page
would have about five times the number of links as the current home page, it
could actually be LESS function than the current two-tiered version.

I think Sailor is not in trouble with onMouseOver content ONLY because the
sub-menu pages are already well developed.  If they did not have those, they
would have to be building the them from scratch, and that WOULD be a fair
amount of work.

I think they will be moving the Infotract / Sun Spot / GPO etc. menu up
higher on the page.  Is that what you were referring to as a navigation bar?

--
Thank you.
Bruce

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Thatcher [mailto:thatch@attglobal.net]
> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2000 7:41 PM
> To: Bruce Bailey; Web Accessibility Initiative
> Subject: RE: Request for site review
>
>
> Bruce,
>
> I don't understand why you say the duplicate content won't help
> lynx or screen reader users. The sub-menu a mouse user sees as the result
> of the mouseover is on the page you get by following (clicking) the topic.
> It is complete equivalent content as far as I am concerned.
>
> If you were to add "skip navigation" it would be equivalent access as
> well. That sub-menu is so simple, but one has to wander through all the
> navigation stuff to find the simple menu at what turns out to be the
> bottom of the page.
>
> Jim
> Jim@Jimthatcher.com
> 512-306-0931
>

Received on Friday, 14 April 2000 09:42:16 UTC