- From: Jesper Tverskov <jesper.tverskov@mail.tele.dk>
- Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 09:20:19 +0200
- To: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
David Woolley wrote: Maps don't work with screen readers either, particularly UK maps which are bitmapped. The question was specifically about (geographical) maps. You have to solve the problem of presenting maps, within commercial, particularly intellectual property, constraints, before you need to worry about pointing within them. - - - - - - - - - - I consider the above quote to be mostly wrong. Nobody expects that a painting of Van Gogh should have an alt-text conveying exactly the same "artistic" feeling a sighted viewer can get from looking at such a painting. A short alt-text is enough and sometimes a longer description but this would still be a far cry from a true equivalent. Nobody expects that a symphony, Beethoven no 9, must not be played without a long description conveying exactly the same feeling to the deaf. A short description will do in most cases. Nobody expects that GIS maps most not be used without whole books attached to them painstakingly spelling out all the details in the map in plain text. But the blind should be able to use GIS maps presented on the net just the same. I blind person can search for something in the map, find it, and it says so in the screen reader. The blind can then link to the map from own web site, email the map to a friend, etc., show it to a child, etc. The blind can print the map and take it with her on a walk and show it to somebody when asking for directions like anybody else. The blind can search for two addresses in the map and then listen to a route description in the screen reader, etc. We have already GPS systems giving such directions to drivers, and similar systems are already made for walkers. The blind has the same right to be able to use maps on the net as anybody else, but can of cause not get all the benefits of a user also able to see the map. My study shows that even though most GIS maps can only be navigated using a mouse, most of the map solutions are actually very close to being accessible also with the keyboard. An example is MSN. It is still too difficult to see the active link (use inverted colors), etc., the frame of the map should not be used for panning, the arrows are too far apart. Four small arrows with the main directions, as seen in many other maps are enough, etc. But it is possible to navigate the maps of MSN with the keyboard already today. The only exception is recentering the map, but such a feature is not that important in most cases. With the keyboard we can only pan the map in big steps. But such a feature is easy to make, we just need to make it possible to pan a map also let us say in steps of 100 yards or meters. We don't need to be able to recenter ordinary GIS maps pixel for pixel with the keyboard. It is not useful, nobody cares. With a few more improvements like better window titles, proper use of alt-text, etc., GIS maps could also be used by blind people in the above meanings. Cheers, Jesper Tverskov www.smackthemouse.com
Received on Thursday, 10 June 2004 03:20:20 UTC