WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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Re: onchange javascript event in auto dropdown box

for

From: Christian Heilmann
Date: Jul 9, 2008 2:20PM

>
> In my opinion, if there is a jump menu element that in it's default
> state is not accessible, this likely fails this guideline. Now if you
> provide the user with the relevant "directions and cues" - "Press Alt
> + Down Arrow" (is this consistent across browsers?) - then perhaps you
> could state 508 compliance, though I'd be more concerned with
> accessibility than merely compliance.
>
>
The point is that this is just not usable. I don't have any motor
disability but I fill out forms using my keyboard and tabbing. Sending
data off on change makes me send you evil emails.
If you have to explain a way around an uncommon way of using an
interface then your interface is built in an un-intuitive way. People,
play more wii games, they got it figured out - the easier and more fun
it is to use something (using natural patterns), the more money you will
make, the more users you will get and the less complaints you'll get.

We build interfaces, not HTML code.