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Re: does datepicker have to be accessible

for

From: adam solomon
Date: Feb 12, 2011 12:15PM

With all due respect to the needs of those who require accessible sites, one
has to be practical. The level of accessibility on the web in general is
pretty low. I think the addition of a datepicker is one of the last things
we should be making a fuss about. Despite the fact that accessible web sites
shouldn't come at a high expense, the reality is that companies who are
implementing accessibility are spending a lot of money on it. Just to take
an example, our department contracted out a large (not gigantic) web app to
be developed. After the contract was finished, they thought about
accessibility, and the company which received the contract wanted an extra
$10,000 to make it accessible. That comes out of taxpayer money. I am all
for implementing accessibility, but at some point we have to consider the
cost, if only to avoid a situation where high costs provide ammunition to
those who would torpedo the cause altogether.

On Sat, Feb 12, 2011 at 8:24 AM, < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> there are many sites where it has been made accessible and as a screen
> reader I prefer using it at times or being able to have the choices. As a
> screen reader I don't particularly like my choices being made for me
> because
> someone has chosen to cut corners. When corners are cut it undermines the
> whole concept and purpose of accessibility.
> Chuck
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Accessibility India" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 5:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] does datepicker have to be accessible
>
>
> > On 2/8/11, adam solomon < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> >> In many cases accessibility guidelines provide for alternative content
> >> for
> >> disabled users. Why would this not classify as one of those instances,
> as
> >> the loss here is a small amount of convenience of picking the date, and,
> >> in
> >> fact, for a screen reader user it is probably easier typing the date
> >> rather
> >> than navigating through a datepicker.
> > Yes Adam, Accessibility guidelines may use alternate methods in some
> > instances mostly where the content may not be accessible in the
> > straight way. When we can make any technology accessible there is no
> > point in denying to make it accessible.
> > Yes me as a screen reader user I do agree that input the text is
> > simple but picking date from date picker is not complex if we are able
> > to make it accessible.
> >
> >
> >> On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 3:07 PM, Accessibility India <
> >> <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> >>
> >>> sorry for the blank message.. my typo..
> >>> Yes the date picker also should be accessible. We should not provide
> >>> the users of different abilities in a separate way of interacting with
> >>> the web content. Make the calender icon as a key board focusable
> >>> event. on clicking the calender icon the user should be focus to the
> >>> layer where the calender opens.
> >>> Pic the date and by entering on the date the input field should be
> >>> updated and the focus should come back to the calender icon by closing
> >>> the calander.
> >>> Clear instruction should be given to enter the date in correct format
> >>> in the input field manually.
> >>> Thankyou
> >>> Rakesh
> >>>
> >>> On 2/8/11, adam solomon < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> >>> > Scenario: a textbox meant to have a date written in it. A button next
> >>> > to
> >>> it
> >>> > (calendar icon) which opens the datepicker to choose a date. One can
> >>> enter a
> >>> > date manually into the textbox, as well. Does the datepicker need to
> >>> > be
> >>> > accessible, or is it enough that the user can manually enter a date
> >>> > into
> >>> it
> >>> > without making use of the datepicker? How should the format of the
> >>> > date
> >>> to
> >>> > be entered be communicated to a screen reader user in an unobtrusive
> >>> manner?
> >>> > Thanks in advance
> >>> >
> >>> > --
> >>> > adam solomon
> >>> > linkedin <http://il.linkedin.com/pub/adam-solomon/24/449/a4>;
> >>> > blogix <http://adam.blogix.co.il/>;
> >>> >