Re: Keyboard Operation in UAAG2

Hi Dave,

Since those keyboard commands change the state of the AT, which is sort 
of a "meta" user agent, I think they probably fall into the same 
identified types (sequential, direct). But maybe it is something worth 
noting.

Cheers,
Jan




David Poehlman wrote:
> This may be bordering on what the AT is supposed to do but it seems to me 
> that there are a set of commands which allow for inspection and navigation 
> without interaction such as those found in JAWS, Window Eyes and VoiceOver.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jan Richards" <jan.richards@utoronto.ca>
> To: "WAI-UA list" <w3c-wai-ua@w3.org>
> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 6:03 PM
> Subject: Keyboard Operation in UAAG2
> 
> 
> 
> Following from today's call...here is an update to the "Keyboard
> Commands" idea from last week
> (http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2008JanMar/0078.html):
> 
> =============================================
> *KEYBOARD OPERATION*
> 
> The functions provided to operate a user interface using only *keyboard
> commands*, without any need for pointer actions. Examples include:
> sequential keyboard navigation through a GUI, keyboard shortcuts, and
> command line interfaces.
> 
> =============================================
> *KEYBOARD COMMANDS*
> 
> The set of signals that a user interface will accept from a keyboard or
> keyboard emulator in a given context (e.g., with focus in a document vs.
> with focus in the menus). Signals may be composed of one keyboard event
> (e.g., the "Tab" key") or multiple keyboard events that occur either
> simultaneously (e.g., "ctrl"+"S") or sequentially (e.g. "alt","F","S").
> 
> For the purposes of UAAG 2.0, several types of keyboard commands are
> identified:
> 
> (a) *Sequential Commands* are those that are not tied to any particular
> UI controls or application functions, but rather support traversal of
> sets of controls (e.g., repeating "Tab" to move between all active
> controls, "arrow" keys to move focus through items in a list).
> Sequential commands help users explore what is available.
> 
> (b) *Direct Commands* (also called "keyboard shortcuts" or "accelerator
> keys") are those tied to particular UI controls or application
> functions, allowing the user to navigate-to or activate them without
> traversing any intervening controls (e.g., "ctrl"+"S" to save a
> document). It is sometimes useful to distinguish direct commands that
> are associated with controls that are rendered in the current context
> (e.g., "alt"+"D" to move focus to the address bar) from those that may
> be able to activate program functionality that is not associated with
> any currently rendered controls (e.g., "F1" to open the Help system).
> Direct commands help users accelerate their selections.
> 
> (c) *Spatial Commands* are those in which the keyboard is used to
> control the position of controls in space (e.g., using the arrow keys to
> move a mouse pointer by set numbers of pixels). ACCESSIBILITY NOTE:
> Spatial commands do not typically enhance exploration or acceleration of
> selection of selection and should not be considered an alternative to
> direct or sequential commands.
> 
> =============================================
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Jan
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Jan Richards, M.Sc.
User Interface Design Specialist
Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC)
Faculty of Information Studies
University of Toronto

   Email: jan.richards@utoronto.ca
   Web:   http://jan.atrc.utoronto.ca
   Phone: 416-946-7060
   Fax:   416-971-2896

Received on Friday, 4 April 2008 17:40:12 UTC