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Re: accessible tree menus

for

From: Seth Kane
Date: Feb 27, 2009 1:40PM

JF & Al-

Please understand that there is a MAJOR difference between Accessibility
and Usability. Annoying maybe but still accessible.

Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive,
understand, navigate, and interact with the Web.

The thread started by someone asking if there was a way to create an
accessible drop down or DHTML menu and the fact is YES there is. Now I
will agree that most people using these overuse the amount of
information present but your statements are closed minded by stating
things like suckerfish or dropdowns in general are not accessible.

NO WHERE in any published guidelines does it say how much accessibility
is too much.

If there were only 9 Links on the page (3 Navigation Items, 3 Items Per
Drop Down) would you still say it is not accessible?

Now specifically with the Audio annoyance. Ask any Speech Reader user
if they prefer using quick functions to bounce around to Headers, Link
List, Form Controls, etc.. over just sitting there like a dead fish and
listening. Even on the WEBAim Screen Reader Study is says: 76% of users
always or often navigating by headings.
http://webaim.org/blog/screen-reader-survey-results/

There are great comments and input on this topic, however I think some
people become biased by the products they sell, ways THEY ALONE use the
web and stop really focusing on the goal. To make it as accessible to
as many possibilities. I have listed below the definitions of
accessible and simply put it is defined as "Providing Access"


........................................................................
..
Accessible http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accessibility

1: providing access

2 a: capable of being reached <accessible by rail> ; also : being
within reach <fashions at accessible prices> b: easy to communicate or
deal with <accessible people>

3: capable of being influenced : open <accessible to new ideas>

4: capable of being used or seen : available <the collection is not
currently accessible>5: capable of being understood or appreciated <the
author's most accessible stories> <an accessible film>
........................................................................
..

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Usable http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Usability
1 : capable of being used
2 : convenient and practicable for use
........................................................................
..


Seth Kane Sr. Presentation Layer Developer


-----Original Message-----
From: Al Sparber [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2009 2:02 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Cc: Seth Kane
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] accessible tree menus

From: "Seth Kane" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >

> Here is a GREAT example of an Accessible Dropdown Navigation that uses
> suckerfish or a version of it.
>
> http://www.harvard.edu/

Hi Seth,

I respectfully disagree. I'm able-bodied, but love to use my keyboard.
That
menu is most annoying to me. In order to get to "About Harvard", I have
to
tab through 27 items. Then, if I want to go back, I have to shift-tab
another 27 times. I maintain, as I told you in our conversation, that
this
is fine for a very small menu - say, with no more than 2 or 3 sub-menu
items
per root.

To me, the best way to deploy such a menu is to make it so that those
that
use a keyboard do not even know there are sub-menus, like this:
http://www.projectseven.com/products/menusystems/pmm2/ug-examples/access
ible/index.htm

That way, the drop-down effect is purely additive and web designers who
must
appease a client that insists on such a menu will be able to do so in
good
conscience :-)

--
Al Sparber - PVII
http://www.projectseven.com