Re: Table accessibility (was Re: headers attribute)

leif halvard silli wrote,

quote
>  From 
> <http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws610fea.asp>:
> 
> New Voice for Table Headers
> 
> In Microsoft Word and Excel, JAWS now 
> reads row and column headers for tables in a different voice. To 
> change this voice, open the Set Options menu in Configuration 
> Manager and choose Voice Aliases. Select "HeaderVoice" and 
> choose the Modify button.
unquote

notice that the voice alias for table headers applies, as stated 
above, to quote Microsoft Word and Excel unquote in versions 6.1x, 
not HTML tables -- here is the pertinent portion of the "fixes 
and improvements to JAWS 8", 8 being the lastest full release, 
followed by similar information about the 7.10 release (which is 
still the most used version of JAWS today, due to the instability 
of JAWS8) - for those of you interested in why so many versions of
JAWS are in current use, i would advise you to consult the ESW Wiki:

[http://esw.w3.org/topic/HTML/TableAccessibility]

only someone has vandalized the page, removing all its contents, and 
the wiki won't let me revert to last saved copy (before the vandalism)
because i don't have administrative priviledges 

CAVEAT: as with all software, but especially assistive technology,
what the manufacturer claims to have fixed or implemented may not
be fully functional or reliable -- in other words, EVERY users' 
mileage varies.

<q 
cite="http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws80fea.asp#
fixes"

HTML and the Internet

* Resolved a reported issue where blank lines would appear between 
  bullets and the list items on certain lists when using both IE 6 
  and 7. 

* JAWS does not speak all of the cell information when you enter into 
  another table on the same page while navigating with the TAB key. 

* Unable to navigate tables with the standard table reading commands 
  while in Forms mode. 

* JAWS announces when you move from one frame to another on a Web page 
  when using the TAB and SHIFT+TAB keys. 

* JAWS recognizes both the SPACEBAR and ENTER key as ways to start a 
  Flash Player video. 

* Fixed an issue where JAWS would exit Forms mode when you press ENTER 
  in a multi-line edit field in Internet Explorer. This problem often 
  appeared when entering text into the body of an e-mail message using 
  Yahoo e-mail (http://mail.yahoo.com). 

* JAWS now shows bulleted text in the virtual buffer with FSDOM support. 

* Screen sensitive help (INSERT+F1) is now available for the Page Refresh 
  Filter command. This command is located in the HTML Options dialog in 
  Configuration Manager. 

* JAWS now turns off Forms mode when you exit Internet Explorer while 
  Forms mode is still enabled. 

* The Rely on MSAA option is no longer available in the default 
  configuration file. This eliminates the issue where JAWS would 
  not read some JAWS-related list boxes under the following 
  conditions: Rely on MSAA is checked in the default configuration 
  file and JAWS is running as a service. 

* When the navigation quick key N is pressed on a Web page with a 
  non-link graphic, JAWS now moves to the next non-link block of 
  text instead of the graphic.

* Resolved an issue for the Florida Division of Blind Services where 
  JAWS would not read the title attribute in a table with editable 
  cells. 

* Fixed a problem where JAWS would read headings twice on an HTML 
  page when navigating with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys. 

* Resolved an issue reported by Microsoft where JAWS was not reading 
  combo boxes on HTML pages. 

* JAWS now correctly reads buttons in both Forms mode and Virtual mode 
  in Internet Explorer. 

* JAWS no longer looses speech when it encounters security dialogs in
  Internet Explorer. 

* When in Forms mode in Internet Explorer, if a character is deleted 
  from a field, JAWS speaks the recently deleted character instead of 
  the character that the cursor is now focused on. This has been 
  fixed in JAWS 8.0.

* In Internet Explorer 7 in the Options dialog found under tools, 
  JAWS now reads the full content of the Privacy tab in the 
  Internet Explorer Options dialog when you first open the tabbed 
  page. Previously, JAWS would only announce the setting of the Up 
  Down slider and not the other information on the page. As you 
  change the slider, pressing INSERT+TAB will read all the details 
  for the new setting. 

* Fixed a reported problem where JAWS would crash if you tried to 
  assign an existing placemarker name to a newly created placemarker 
  in Internet Explorer.

* JAWS can now recognize characters such as German capital umlauts 
  or Russian capital letters when searching for non-English 
  characters in the Internet


Explorer 7 Virtual Buffer. 

* There is now a description for the Delete Browsing History button,
  which appears in Internet Explorer 7 when you select the Tools menu,
  Internet Options command, and then the General tab page. 

* JAWS now reads Hebrew Web pages properly. 

* JAWS now announces detailed information about the Auto Complete 
  Settings button and the Feeds Settings button in Internet Explorer 
  7. Both buttons are located on the Content tab page in the Internet 
  Options dialog. 

* JAWS now reads the Windows Update page as expected. 

* JAWS no longer shows same page links as being visited when the page 
  has not been visited. 

* The for= and id= attributes no longer have to match (for example, 
  lowercase versus mixed case characters) for JAWS to recognize the 
  correct label for a form field. This was an issue in JAWS 7.1. 
</q>


as for the most commonly used release, 7.10.500, here is the list of
HTML fixes and new features:

<q 
cite="http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws710fea.asp
#Web">

Improved Performance on the Web

With the new Internet and HTML support in JAWS 7.10, you will experience 
increased accuracy, improved navigation, and better text recognition when 
reading Web pages or other virtual documents. 

1. Visible Focus Rectangle

When you press TAB or SHIFT+TAB to move to links and buttons in Internet 
Explorer and Firefox, the focus rectangle is now visible. This rectangle 
is useful to sighted users because it visually indicates the location of 
the cursor. The focus rectangle does not move when you use the arrow keys 
or Navigation Quick Keys to read.

2. Route the Virtual Cursor to the JAWS Cursor

You can now press INSERT+NUM PAD PLUS in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and 
virtual documents to route the Virtual Cursor to the mouse pointer. Using 
this command moves the Virtual Cursor to the current location of the 
mouse pointer and can help sighted users navigate Web pages. In addition, 
routing the JAWS Cursor to the Virtual Cursor (INSERT+NUM PAD MINUS) is 
much more accurate and moves the mouse pointer to the exact character 
the Virtual Cursor is located on.

3. Route the PC Cursor to the Virtual Cursor

You can now press CTRL+INSERT+DELETE in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and 
virtual documents to route the PC Cursor to the Virtual Cursor. Using 
this command moves the PC Cursor (and the application focus) to the 
current location of the Virtual Cursor. Visually, the page will scroll 
so that the area containing the Virtual Cursor is visible on the screen. 
This command is the opposite of the Route Virtual to PC Cursor command 
(INSERT+DELETE).

4. One Setting for Controlling Page Refreshes

There is now only one setting for controlling page refreshes. Previously 
there were two settings, one for controlling page refreshes caused by 
the browser, and another for controlling refreshes caused by embedded 
ActiveX controls, such as Macromedia Flash. These have been consolidated 
into a single option for controlling both since it is often not apparent 
which is causing the page to refresh.

5. Improved Detection of Dynamic Page Updates

Previously, if script code was used on a page to control visibility 
without the user actually interacting with the page, JAWS would not 
detect the page update and would either show content that was not 
really there or not show content which was made visible. This should 
no longer occur.

6. Enhanced Screen Tracking

The screen no longer scrolls up or down erratically while you are using 
the Say All command or navigating by other means. The screen only moves 
when the content about to be read is not visible.

7. Document Presentation Mode Line Length

You can now define how long a single line will be when viewing an HTML 
page in Document Presentation Mode. This can help you read lengthy 
tables easier because all the content from each row in the table can 
fit on a single line. The increased line length stops JAWS from 
rendering rows across multiple lines.

When you exit Document Presentation Mode, JAWS will render the page 
using the normal maximum line length. The default line length in 
Document Presentation Mode is 400 characters, which is enough to fit 
most table rows on one line. To change the line length, open the 
Utilities menu and choose Configuration Manager. Then, open the Set 
Options menu and choose HTML Options. Enter a new line length in the 
Document Presentation Mode Maximum Line Length edit box located on 
the Text tab.
</q>

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Received on Tuesday, 5 June 2007 20:12:35 UTC