RE: Javascript

Hi Mike

I'm inclined to agree with your first point - as a designer I want to
create an attractive, intuitive, uncluttered and usable web page.  On
the other hand I want to ensure that that page doesn't exclude anyone
for any reason.

With that in mind - do we think it's acceptable to go ahead and use the
JavaScript menu - and apply the NOSCRIPT element?

ange
***********************************
Angela K Hilton
Web & E-Learning Officer
ISD, UMIST
Tel: 0161 200 3389
***********************************

-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org] On
Behalf Of Isofarro
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 12:59
To: Scarlett Julian (ED); 'Angela Hilton'; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: Re: Javascript


From: Scarlett Julian (ED)
Subject: RE: Javascript

> I generally use my browser (currently Opera 7.1) with javascript
disabled
so if I visited
> a site with menus that you're talking about I'd be stuck. Unless of
course
you provided
> text-only equivalent links but then what's the point - may as well
make
the first set
> accessible in the first place. (IMO)

The point is that dynamic dropdown menus (DHTML) improve the look and
feel
of a website site, allowing you to have more navigational scope without
overpowering the visitor with options.

The moment you say "you might as well just have text-only links" is the
same
moment when web designers see accessibility as nothing more than
text-only
websites - you are only advocating the myth some of us are working hard
to
dispell. Recall that accessibility is about providing _alternatives_ to
non-textual or dynamic content where practical - not _replacing_ them
with
text-only non-dynamic components.

Naturally in the case of DHTML menus, there is a graceful fallback in
the
noscript element, so a DHTML menu can be accessible by providing an
alternative.

Mike.

Received on Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:47:57 UTC