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Re: A list of one?

for

From: Patrick Burke
Date: Nov 19, 2008 3:35PM

At 01:27 PM 11/19/2008, Waltenberger, Lon (LNI) wrote:
>During a recent test of several options one option used a definition
>list to try to do something the tag wasn't really intended to do. When
>JAWS announced the "definition" the user stopped, confused by what was
>being defined and why.
>
>Again, I was reminded of what one JAWS user once told me: "Just write
>valid markup and leave the rest to the user."

As a practical matter, it's time-consuming to hear "Definition list
of 17 items", esp if DLs are used repeatedly throughout a page. By
virtue of cutting out the 4-syllable word "definition", plain old ULs
are easier to deal with in Jaws.

Trying to get beyond one program's implementation, I would observe
that headings, lists, paragraphs are the simplest building blocks, &
(nearly?) all screen readers have efficient ways of dealing with
them. I can't remember if there are keyboard navigation commands to
deal with DLs. I also can't remember the last time I ran into a
DL/DD/DT that was defining anything. ...

Patrick



--
Patrick J. Burke

Coordinator
UCLA Disabilities &
Computing Program

Phone: 310 206-6004
E-mail: burke <at> ucla. edu