RE: A table navigation technique

How useful would it be for tables used for page layout?  It could be more
confusing than helpful.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Gunderson [mailto:jongund@staff.uiuc.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 1998 8:58 AM
To: w3c-wai-ua@w3.org
Subject: RE: A table navigation technique


There has been alot of focus on the blind and linearization of tables.  If
that was the only group that would benefit from linearization I would have
a hard time supporting direct implmentation since screen readers could do
the conversion for the user and those users would need to use a screen
reader, although I would still rate it as priority 1 item since it is
needed by the user.  

But there are other groups that will not be using screen readers to access
dcouments with tables that could benefit from linearization.  Like people
with visual impairments and people with some types of learning
disabilities.  It is most likely that these groups will not be using any
type of assistive technology that could do the conversion.  

In a study we did here at UIUC with low vision students.  We found the most
difficult task we asked them to perform was to find some information in a
simple data table (3 out of 4 visually impaired students could not complete
the task).  

So how do we address the needs of these disabilities related to table
linearization?


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 Tuesday, 17 November 1998 12:18:06 UTC