Re: Which form item is more accessible?

   
Hi Scott etal:

A few interacting questions need to be asked:
a) what degree of "accessible" do you mean?  Specifically, what do you want someone's screen reader to say?  The question itself?  Only the options when using the down arrow?  Both the question and the option when using the down arrow?
b) What screen reader(s) are you assuming is(are) being used?  Which versions?
c) What browsers are you assuming?  Which versions?
d) How do the answers to all the above interact? 
For example if 
a) I want to hear both the option and question each time I hit the down arrow and
b) I am using JFW 3.2 and 
c) I am using Lynx 2.8.1

I find, in order to meet a) above, I need to repeat the question and the option associated with the label as the example below shows.
Will this work for other screen readers (or versions of the same) or browsers (or other versions) or other forms (perhaps having longer questions)?  I have no idea. 

<INPUT TYPE="radio" NAME="Bread" VALUE="Wheat" SELECTED > 
2. Please choose the 
type of bread you would like. Wheat.<BR>
<INPUT TYPE="radio" NAME="Bread" VALUE="White">
2. Please choose the type of bread you would like. White.<BR> 
<INPUT TYPE="radio" NAME="Bread" VALUE="Rye">
2. Please choose the type of Bread you would like. Rye.<BR> 
<INPUT TYPE="radio" NAME="Bread" VALUE="Pumpernikel">
2. Please choose the type of Bread you would like. Pumpernikel.<BR></P> 
<P> 3. Please select the kind of meat you would like.<BR>
<SELECT NAME="Meat"><BR> 
<OPTION SELECTED><BR>
What kind of meat would you like on your sandwich? Turkey.
<OPTION label="Ham" value="Ham"><BR>
What kind of meat would you like on your sandwich? Ham.
<OPTION label="Roast Beef" value="Roast Beef"><BR>
What kind of meat would you like on your sandwich? Roast Beef.
<OPTION label="Bologna" value="Bologna"><BR>
What kind of meat would you like on your sandwich? Bologna.
<OPTION label="Pepperoni" value="Pepperoni"><BR>
What kind of meat would you like on your sandwich? Pepperoni.
<OPTION label="MeatBall" value="MeatBall"><BR>
What kind of meat would you like on your sandwich? Meat Ball.
<OPTION label="Chicken" value="Chicken"><BR>
What kind of meat would you like on your sandwich? Chicken.
</SELECT></P>
Hope this helps.






------
Steven McCaffrey
Information Technology Services
NYSED
(518)-473-3453


>>> Scott Luebking <phoenixl@netcom.com> 09/14 7:00 PM >>>
Hi,

As a follow up question, which is preferable  -  a single radio button or
a selection list with two options.  There might be a subtlety here
depending on the choices.  Two different situations are:

    1.  the choices are boolean, e.g. on/off,  yes/no

    2.  the choices are mutually exclusive, e.g. red/green, male/female

Scott

Received on Wednesday, 15 September 1999 08:34:07 UTC