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RE: Javascript alert accessibility?

for

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Feb 25, 2002 6:30PM

JavaScript alerts are accessible to some screen readers, including JAWS,
Window Eyes, Home Page Reader, and perhaps others. In this sense, they
are accessible, but there are conditions. It's important to remember
that these screen readers are not browsers. They depend upon the browser
that the user has chosen. Most screen readers work well with Internet
Explorer. In Internet Explorer, JavaScript is turned on by default, but
the user has the option to disable it. So, if we assume that the user
has not disabled JavaScript, the JavaScript alert will be activated
within the browser and the screen readers mentioned above will be able
to read that alert.

If the individual is not using a JavaScript-enabled browser (e.g. Lynx),
then the alerts will fail. They will not be accessible no matter what
screen reader is being used.

You might argue that there is a higher percentage of people using
Internet Explorer with screen readers than Lynx with screen readers.
That is an accurate statement. You could justifiably conclude that you
are able to reach the majority of screen reader users. Still, there will
always be a group of people that you can't reach if you decide to use
JavaScript. Some of these people choose to deactivate JavaScript, but
others have less of a choice, e.g. if their particular disability is
best served by a technology which does not support JavaScript.

*IMPORTANT: My comments above apply to JavaScript alert boxes only, and
not to JavaScript in general. Alert boxes are fairly standard, and
screen-reader-supported. Other types of JavaScript events may or not be
supported by screen readers.

Paul Bohman
Technology Coordinator
WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind)
www.webaim.org
Center for Persons with Disabilities
www.cpd.usu.edu
Utah State University
www.usu.edu