Re: additional label question

Jim Thatcher wrote:
>> I have a data table that has input boxes in each cell.   Do
>> the label tags need to be associated with the appropriate
>> text in this situation …
> 
> First of all the answer to question is again the title 
> attribute.

We are being advised - by the RNIB - not to have such tabular
forms, but instead break down the form into two separate
fieldsets - one for the first persons details, one for the
second. They never suggested or mentioned using the title attribute.


> But the title attribute on an input is used in exactly those
> cases where the prompting information is available in other 
> ways to one who sees the page. So in this case, the column 
> headers are obvious when someone is looking at the table - 
> but not to a screen reader user as they tab into the form 
> control.

I guess using the title would also help people with
learning/cognitive disabilities as well as the screen magnifier
problem of matching up headings and their fields.

The important part, as you say, is using the title attribute as
a secondary means of identification/labelling.

> (IBM uses a hack: an invisible image with alt text enclosed 
> in the label element, probably because testing tools don't 
> recognize the value of the title attribute - YET. They will.)
> 

This was my proposed solution to the tabular form problem, but
the RNIB didn't like that because older versions of JAWS had
problems using an alt attribute as a label.


Jim, do you have an example of a table-structured form that you
consider accessible?


Thanks,
Mike

Received on Saturday, 2 April 2005 22:20:21 UTC