- From: Joe Roeder <Jroeder@nib.org>
- Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 14:43:36 -0500
- To: nir.dagan@econ.upf.es
- Cc: WAI I G <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>, charlesn@sunrise.srl.rmit.edu.au
Hello Nir, > I have followed your discussion on frames and I think I agree with the essence of your arguments. I would like to offer my perspective, which is that of a totally blind user using a screen reader with voice. Referring to your recent posting: >>This is what I mean by "visual in nature." Frames have usability >>advantages >>only if the user can have a direct multiple *view*. JR: This is where I have a slight disagreement. With a voice output screen reader, I am focused on one "window" or frame at a time. It makes no difference to me if my screen displays 4 windows on the screen side-by-side or if each window is maximized and displayed one on top of the other. I have to focus on only one at a time. But I can step horizontally, as you put it, with just an ALT-TAB (for windows) or a CONTROL-TAB (for frames or dialog pages). You might say that I have an "indirect multiple *view". The point I want to make is that I can benefit from a frame structure if it would work like the windows do. Two things that are missing with my browser/screen reader (MSIE 3.2/WinVision97 4.1) frames is something to let me know that I am dealing with a frame structure and some identification of the frame when I focus on it. For example, If I have several apps open but have gotten "lost", I can orient myself with a screen reader hot key that verbally summarizes what windows are open. For frames, an equivalent might be to tell me how many frames are presented. When I ALT-TAB among apps, my screen reader identifies the app I am passing or stopping on by verbally giving the title. For frames, a sequence number (eg., "frame 1", "frame 2", etc.) might be acceptable because a "title" might not be that useful (I would probably still have to read a bit of it to really know if this was a frame I wanted to be in). An exception would be the frame that contained the index. That would be useful to know. The suggestion offerred in a different post to have the browser focus on the changed frame when the link in the index is clicked strikes me as a really terrific idea. Joe Roeder Voice: (703) 578-6524 FAX: (703) 998-4217 E-mail: jroeder@nib.org
Received on Friday, 6 March 1998 14:44:59 UTC