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Re: Correct mark-up for a form in a table

for

From: Steve Green
Date: Sep 5, 2007 8:30AM

Hi Rich,

I have encountered similar matrices of form controls during user testing
with JAWS. The user was extremely proficient (he's a JAWS trainer) but he
was absolutely baffled. He understood how the form worked once I explained
it but he still found it impossible to use and was unable to complete the
task. Without sighted assistance he would have given up within a few
seconds.

In forms mode JAWS only reads the text in links, legends and labels. To
navigate a table like this you would have to start in virtual cursor mode
and use the keyboard shortcuts to read the row and column headings. In each
textbox you would have to go into forms mode to change the data. Then go
back into virtual cursor mode to navigate ot the next field. In theory the
user could remember where they are (and avoid some of this mode switching)
but in practice that tends not to happen when the contents of the table
cells are so similar.

This is one of those cases where the behaviour of the form is obvious to a
sighted user, but a screen reader user has no idea what is going on. If they
are to have any chance, you would need to provide an explanation, but our
experience suggests that even that is unlikely to be successful.

Steve Green
Director
Test Partners Ltd / First Accessibility
www.testpartners.co.uk
www.accessibility.co.uk