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Accessible table filtering options

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From: Allison Bloodworth
Date: Nov 3, 2010 6:30PM

Hi folks,

I'm working on a table of records and am trying to determine what type of filer I should use. Business requirements will influence this, but I'm wondering whether one option just isn't viable usability & accessibility-wise:

1) If I use this column filtering plug-in: http://www.picnet.com.au/picnet_table_filter.html (try the demo), what would I need to check for to make sure it's accessible. I can certainly tab through and enter data, but I'm not sure how to determine whether a screen reader user could pick up on the fact that the table had changed in response to their typing without going through the entire table.

2) If I use the typical View: {dropdown} which allows the user to filter the results by making a selection in the drop-down, is there any solution other than adding a clunky "Go" button that provides no value to a non-screen reader user (and makes the interface seem less responsive and modern).

Any other suggestions folks have are most welcome.

Thanks so much for any advice you have on this!
Allison

Allison Bloodworth
Senior User Experience Designer
Educational Technology Services
University of California, Berkeley
<EMAIL REMOVED>
510-289-6627