Re: Should accesskey focus or activate?

It may depend on the type of interaction mode [what kinds of command and
display are in use, and how easy they are for this user to use].  

It is not clear it is safe to assume that the right answer can be determined
from the control type alone.  What you don't know from the destination control
type is whether the user had the opportunity to review the nature and state
the
control before activating the accesskey or not.

On the one hand, eyes-free users are more likely to need the ability move to
the hotkey designated control, inspect what is there, and then decide how to
act on it.  Compare with why a low vision programmer instigated the
addition of
the 'navigate but do not activate' option to the Lynx keystroke commands:

Re: LYNX-DEV new command: 123 g
<http://www.flora.org/lynx-dev/html/month041997/msg00832.html>http://www.fl
ora.org/lynx-dev/html/month041997/msg00832.html

On the other hand motor-impaired users who can see the full screen really
don't
want to have to take an extra step.  They want to be able to tell the browser
JustDoIt.

Users vary in how verbose they want their prompting.  Likewise how abrupt they
want the system response.  For different disabilities, access to either end of
this tuning spectrum may be critical.  So there may need to be
adjustability in
this protocol to deal with the variety of needs.

Al

At 05:10 AM 2001-04-24 -0700, Aaron Leventhal wrote: 
>
> Hello all, a Netscape developer wanted to know whether accesskey should
focus
> or activate controls, or whether it depends on the type of control.
> Here's his question in detail:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Hey Aaron,>> >> I wanted to get your opinion as accessibility guy on bug
55020, it's a>> question of whether or not access keys should just focus
the element in>> question or focus and activate it.  You're cc'd on the
bug, I'm not sure>> if you've read it.  The bug has some valid points about
accidental>> activation of access key based items, especially since we
allow the>> accesskeys to beat out things like alt-F for menu opening.>> >>
So currently we focus and activate everything.  I tend to agree with the>>
bug writer that we should move to only focusing things.  All of the>> items
can be keyboard triggered from there so a full keyboard solution>> still
works.>> >> And just for extra info's sake, IE's solution is, I think, a
bit unusual. >> They use a mix of focus and activation.  Buttons, for
example, are>> activated.  Links, however, are not.  Text fields just get
focus butwhat does activation of a text field mean anyway.  IE also
overrides>> stuff like alt-F when an accesskey of that letter is in use.>>
>> So anyway, I'm just curious if you have an opinion from an
accessibility>> point of view.  My current stance is to go with the bug's
solution and>> start doing focus only unless more arguments arise in favor
of>> activation.>> >>    -tom>> </pre>>> <font size=3></blockquote>--
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please see the <a href="http://access-mozilla.sourceforge.net">Access
Mozilla</a> website.<br>>> To join the mozilla-accessibility mailing list,
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href="mailto:mozilla-accessibility-request@mozilla.org?subject=subscribe">mo
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>
> -- 
> For information about Netscape and Mozilla Accessibility projects, please
see
> the <http://access-mozilla.sourceforge.

Received on Tuesday, 24 April 2001 17:47:59 UTC