[Fwd: Re: [timely] nested fieldsets]

forwarding to correct list.


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [timely] nested fieldsets
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:36:46 +0000
From: Liam McGee <liam.mcgee@communis.co.uk>
Organization: Communis Ltd
To: public-wai-eo-badtf-request@w3.org
References: <440EF6CD.4030709@w3.org>

Shadi Abou-Zahra wrote:
> During our last meeting we agreed that we want to nest the fieldsets on 
> the survey form. I'm still unsure how that will work for people 
> switching in and out of forms mode (as opposed to using one or the other).
> 
> Anyway, to test this I implemented what we discussed on a different 
> (simpler) page and would like feedback:
>  <http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/eval/tools/submission>
> 
> The fieldsets and legends are not visible (legends are positioned 
> outside the viewport). I also put most legends *before* the headings so 
> that someone who browses the page in header mode, then switches to forms 
> mode (to fill out the fields) would not have the same text read out twice.
> 
> If this proves to be a good solution, we can reuse it on the BAD survey 
> page. Please let me know your thoughts right away if possible.

In my experience of user testing, screenreader users don't tend to 
switch in and out of forms mode while there are still labelled fields 
available to tab to. I think that your solution is one of the better 
ones I have seen, but don't like the idea of nested fieldsets purely 
because we are giving the users of this resource something quite 
semantically complex to implement, for which there is very little 
support out there online.

I think that we should implement this as simply as possible (single 
level of fieldsets), and suggest a piece of work for EOWG developing 
some better best practice advice on using radio buttons, check boxes and 
multi-select boxes. This would be really good to get into the WCAG2.0 
supporting docs too!

Liam

-- 
Liam McGee, Managing Director, Communis Ltd
Web: http://www.communis.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1373 836 476



-- 
Shadi Abou-Zahra     Web Accessibility Specialist for Europe | 
Chair & Staff Contact for the Evaluation and Repair Tools WG | 
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)           http://www.w3.org/ | 
Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI),   http://www.w3.org/WAI/ | 
WAI-TIES Project,                http://www.w3.org/WAI/TIES/ | 
Evaluation and Repair Tools WG,    http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/ | 
2004, Route des Lucioles - 06560,  Sophia-Antipolis - France | 
Voice: +33(0)4 92 38 50 64          Fax: +33(0)4 92 38 78 22 | 

Received on Friday, 10 March 2006 14:48:53 UTC