RE: DHTML show/hide sections & screen readers

There are other speech output technologies like GW-Micro
WIndows Eyes and IBM Home Page reader.  

In general JAWS and IBM Home Page Reader will not read content
that has the CSS display property set to none.  If you switch
it to display: block | inline it will then read the content.

I think the biggest problem here is how does someone know that
this link shows more content when you select.  This is a
problem for everyone, but probably bigger for people using
screen readers since when the link is selected they cannot
"see" the new content appearing on the screen.

Jon





---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 12:37:38 +0100
>From: "Stuart Smith" <Stuart.M.Smith@manchester.ac.uk>  
>Subject: RE: DHTML show/hide sections & screen readers  
>To: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org
[mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org] On Behalf
>Of Rebecca Cox
>Sent: 11 May 2005 07:03
>To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
>Subject: DHTML show/hide sections & screen readers
>
>
>
>Hi all
>
>I'm working on some pages where there is javascript run
onpage load to
>hide some divs (by adding CSS display: none), which are then
shown when
>the user clicks on a link (CSS changes to display: block).
Its all in a
>window.onload, no script or CSS in the HTML.
>
>I am wondering how screen readers do with this - eg if my use
of onclick
>is going to cause any issues here. And in general, how do
people using
>screen readers eg Jaws, find this sort of DHTML? If anyone
knows of any
>articles etc on this I would be very interested.
>
>My test page is up at
http://users.actrix.co.nz/rebecca.cox/dhtml/
>
>Cheers,
>Rebecca
>
>Hi Rebecca
>
>In a nutshell it might cause a problem with screen readers,
especially older
>ones. Also there are other accessibility issues to consider
with JavaScript
>such as it's reliance on the mouse.
>
>That said, I am definitely not saying you shouldn't use. You
might want to
>research the <noscript> tag which hides scripts from browsers
not using it.
>You can then embed an alternative.
>
>The place is as good as many others for more information
>
>http://ltg-projects.ummu.umich.edu/~melledge/accessibilitysite/Noscript.html
>
>If you try the code below just after the <script> tag and
switch off
>JavaScript in your browser you will get some idea of how it works
>
>Cheers
>
>Stu
>
><noscript>
><body>
>
>
>
>
>
><h1>Show hide script test page</h1>
>
><p>Test page for a script which sets content blocks to
display:none on page
>load, then sets them to display:block onclick.</p> 
>
><h2>Heading for section 1</h2>
>
>
><p>Content for section 1.</p> 
>
><dl>
><dt>Heading for sub section 1a</dt>
><dd id="subsection0">
>Content for sub section 1a.
>
></dd>
>
>
><dt>Heading for sub section 1b</dt>
><dd>
>Content for sub section 1b.
></dd>
></dl>
>
></div>
>
><h2>Heading for section 2</h2>
>
><div>
><p>Content for section 2.</p> 
>
>
></div>
></div>
>
></body>
></noscript>
>
>


Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Director of IT Accessibility Services
Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services (CITES)
and 
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Disability Resources and Education Services (DRES)

Voice: (217) 244-5870
Fax: (217) 333-0248

E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu

WWW: http://cita.rehab.uiuc.edu/
WWW: https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/jongund/www/

Received on Wednesday, 11 May 2005 13:55:17 UTC