Re: QUESTION: use of javascript to comply with Sect 508

> Perhaps lynx and others need to add support for JavaScript since it can be

When you use Javascript in this context, what you really mean is Javascript
plus the Netscape, or more likely Internet Explorer, proprietory document
object model.

Almost certainly it is supporting the IE document object model that is
the real barrier to Lynx implementing Javascript, although there is
the issue that a large amount of the Javascript code is things like
mouseovers (which either don't make sense text, only, or would cause
multiple out-calls to graphics viewers), popups windows (which really
require a windowing GUI - to the extent that you can treat them as page
replacements, the content authors could also do this if they designed the
page correctly - without compromising the JS effect), tabbed dialogues
(which are probably better left linearised in screen reader contexts),
and collapsing tree type menus (which I suspect are irritating with screen
readers, and probably only really work well in point and click mode).
Quite a few of the above rely on pixel perfect overlaying, and/or hiding
things off screen.

The other crucial point about scripting is that many, if not most, of
the security problems in Internet Explorer are in JS or require JS to
exploit them.  Making remotely programmable systems secure is a difficult
problem.

Received on Saturday, 6 January 2001 18:52:52 UTC