HTML form field labelling

I apologise if this sort of question is inappropriate for this list but I
have seen similar questions so have posted it. Please let me know if it is
inappropriate.

I actually am not all that au fait with how to make accessible HTML (one of
the reasons I joined this list) because I don't know how totally blind
people use the web. Some sites which totally blind people find easy to use I
can't actually use at all and my basic approach has been keep it simply and
let the browser do the rest. I saw the below question on another mailing
list and thought someone might be able to point me in the right direction to
advise them. It was also surprising to me since this form is how I would
have done it and considered it to be clean and simple and hence accessible
so will learn something myself.

Thanks in advance and here's the question:

> Hi all,
>
> I am trying to make a form. Its got a number of text boxes, 1
> text area, a list and the submit and reset buttons.
>
> When tabbing among the form elements in ie6, I hear only the
> "first name:" label. My other labels are not spoken
> automatically. If I read the current line when I am in the
> "last name" edit box, I can hear "last name"
>
> In the address text area, I can't hear any label either when
> I tab to it or when I read the current line.
>
> I also wanted to attach a label to my list box but that also
> does not seem to work.
>
> I am including the form at the end of this message.
>
> browser=IE6
> OS=win2k professional
> screen reader = Window Bridge 2000 v2.10
> I thought that HTML was simple.
> Pranav
>
> <FORM METHOD=POST ACTION="mailto:pranav@softhome.net"
> ENCTYPE="application/x-www-form-urlencoded">
> first name: <INPUT TYPE=TEXT NAME="first name"><br>
> last name: <INPUT TYPE=TEXT NAME="last name"><br>
>
> products: <SELECT NAME="products" MULTIPLE>
> <OPTION VALUE="pencils">pencils
> <OPTION VALUE="pens">pens
> <OPTION VALUE="printer paper">ppaper
> <OPTION VALUE="sharpner(s)">sharpner
> </SELECT>
> <br>
> address: <TEXTAREA NAME="address" ROWS=4 COLS=80 WRAP> </TEXTAREA>
>
> <INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT VALUE="purchase"><BR>
> <INPUT TYPE=RESET VALUE="Clear"><P>
>
> </FORM>
>

Cheers
Ian


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Received on Monday, 17 December 2001 06:30:12 UTC