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Re: Strikethrough Content with Screen Readers

for

From: Bevi Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Nov 19, 2010 10:21AM

Vieky wrote:
" Eg: New Price<del>30</del>20$. In this case, if JAWS settings are not
done, it reads it as "New Price 3020$". This is incorrect information. "

Another way to address this problem is to restructure the sentence when
possible. Use just plain old-fashioned grammar and editing techniques rather
than force technology to fit the situation.

In Vieky's example, it would become:
Was $30, now reduced to $20.

If you're selling a product, that's a much more effective sales method than
the technical accessibility mark-up.

Another situation where I've found screen readers mis-read the content when
an n-dash or hyphen is used in a series. Correct American English grammar
rules would require n-dashes in these examples:
9-5 business hours.
50-100 people can be accommodated in the auditorium.
open Monday-Friday.

To ensure A.T. reads these samples correctly, write out the "to" and
"through" rather than use n-dashes or hyphens:
9 to 5 business hours.
50 to 100 people.
open Monday through Friday.
They're now guaranteed to be read correctly by all people, whether they're
using an A.T. technology or not.

--Bevi Chagnon

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Bevi Chagnon | PubCom | <EMAIL REMOVED> | 301-585-8805
Government publishing specialists, trainers, consultants | print, press,
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Online at the blog: It's 2010. Where's your career heading?
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-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of steven
Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 10:21 AM
To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Strikethrough Content with Screen Readers

Hi Veiky,

I'm not familiar with this behaviour (nor am I a personal fan of the del
tag), but could adding a description or title attribute to the del tag, be
used to notify the user of what has changed and why!? If not, I think there
quickly becomes an argument as to why you should alert the user of the
deleted content at all.

Steven



-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of
<EMAIL REMOVED>
Sent: 19 November 2010 14:46
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: [WebAIM] Strikethrough Content with Screen Readers


While reading the strikethrough element, JAWS does not recognize it
differently and thus user is not informed about the striked content.

One way to solve this is, change JAWS settings, so that it reads it in
different tone.

Eg: New Price<del>30</del>20$. In this case, if JAWS settings are not done,
it reads it as "New Price 3020$". This is incorrect information.
If we change the settings, JAWS reads 30 in different tone - high pitch
voice and the user will come to know about the content. Is there any way the
developers of the content can do anything, so that the screen reader user do
not need to change the settings and still get the correct information?



Is there any other screen reader apart from JAWS, which takes care of such
issues?



peace, veiky



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