RE: Access keys

I have seen (though I can't find the page now!) access keys designated on
web pages as they are in the Windows environment--the letter assigned to the
accesskey is underlined. This would be a visual indicator to non-screen
reader users. So, a "Search" button with the "S" assigned to the accesskey
would have the "S" underlined. the same would be true in text links.

Jim Allan, Webmaster & Statewide Technical Support Specialist
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
1100 W. 45th St., Austin, Texas 78756
voice 512.206.9315    fax: 512.206.9264  http://www.tsbvi.edu/
"I see the Earth. It is so beautiful."--
first words spoken by human in space.
[Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, from the Vostok 1, April 12, 1961.]


-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org]On
Behalf Of David Poehlman
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 7:17 AM
To: Scott Luebking; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: Re: Access keys


how does any one know of the availability of access keys?  they are good
for more than just screen reader users.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Luebking" <phoenixl@sonic.net>
To: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 12:26 AM
Subject: Access keys


Hi,

One of the issues I've been looking at is the limitations of screen
reader
technology to deduce the intent or purpose of something.  The screen
reader can detect the existence of something, but has a much harder
time recognizing why it is there.

For example, screen reader technology can probably easily determine that
accesskeys were specified, but may not know how to explain why and when
they should be used.

The solution I keep coming back to is providing textual explanations.
For the accesskeys, the approach I've been looking at is to have
an invisible image and then have the ALT attribute contain a description
of the access keys.  In that way the accesskey info doesn't affect
the visual appearance, but is available to screen reader users.

Scott

PS  Unfortunately, the approach isn't helpful for disabled people
who don't use screen readers.

PSS  Perhaps XHTML needs a tags or attributes for textual information?

Received on Wednesday, 25 April 2001 17:38:48 UTC