Re: Keyboard control

No, not quite. Keyboard control is probably the most important feature to 
implement natively. But providing 3rd party technology access to those 
controls (in our hypothetical API - in this case probably via the OS) is 
slightly more important. Both are serious priority 1 items, and in 
practical terms both are crucial. The document as it stands does not 
appear to give that much importance to exposing the controls beyond 
keyboard accessibility. I suspect that in practice, providing keyboard 
access does expose the functions to the OS and therefore 3rd party 
technology, but this relies on assumptions about the OS.

Charles McCathieNevile

On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Jon Gunderson wrote:

> Could you clarify your statements.  You seem to be saying that built-in
> keyboard commands are not all that important as long as the function is
> exposed to 3rd party assistive technology.
> One of our goals is universal design and to reduce the need for 3rd party
> assistive technology.
> Jon
> 
> 
> At 11:59 AM 11/11/98 +1100, Charles McCathieNevile wrote:
> >I don't think the answer (especially in a general set of guidelines) to 
> >interface problems is to allow keyboard control specifically. I think the 
> >answer is to allow all controls to be exposed to third party technology. 
> >However, for any UA which has a keyboard interface it seems like a 
> >priority 1 that the keyboard be able to operate all controls.
> >
> >(ie it is more important that the controls are exposed in general, but 
> >only just. Keyboard is the single most important specific device)
> >
> >Charles McCathieNevile
> > 
> Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
> Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
> Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
> University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
> 1207 S. Oak Street
> Champaign, IL 61820
> 
> Voice: 217-244-5870
> Fax: 217-333-0248
> E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu
> WWW:	http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund
> 	http://www.als.uiuc.edu/InfoTechAccess
>

Received on Wednesday, 11 November 1998 13:25:10 UTC