WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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Re: alternative to use of onChange in select menus

for

From: Michael.Moore@dars.state.tx.us
Date: Jun 9, 2011 6:51AM

Use of onChange on a dropdown menu is certainly not a best practice for accessibility, but it is not a drop dead barrier either. Screen reader and other keyboard users can use the dropdown if they open it with alt+down arrow, then move to their selection and tab out of the control. The problem occurs if they simply try to use the down arrow without opening the control. Some folks argue that these folks are simply not using their keyboards correctly.

Michael Moore


-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED> [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Angela French
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 5:47 PM
To: 'WebAim Forum ( <EMAIL REMOVED> )'
Subject: [WebAIM] alternative to use of onChange in select menus

I am exploring options to reworking the functionality of the Quicklinks select (drop down) menu found in top of our global banner on this site:
http://www.sbctc.edu/index.aspx . It relies on the JavaScript onChange event which makes it unusable to either screen readers or keyboard users (correct me please if I am wrong).

Does anyone have an example URL they might direct me to of an alternative to this approach?

Thank you,

Angela French
Internet Specialist
State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
360-704-4316
<EMAIL REMOVED>
http://www.checkoutacollege.com<;http://www.checkoutacollege.com/>;