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Re: Visual location

for

From: Bevi Chagnon
Date: Aug 16, 2012 10:31AM

<< So maybe W3C need to acknowledge that. >>
Definitely. The tactile devices you describe are just the first pioneers in
this technology. Will be exciting to watch it develop and provide
opportunities for more users.

Your personal experience of building a mental picture of the page's layout
is similar to that of people I've worked with. It's good to have this
broader discussion take place.

-
Bevi Chagnon, <EMAIL REMOVED>
PubCom - Trainers, consultants, designers, and developers
Print, Web, Acrobat, XML, eBooks, and Federal Section 508 Accessibility
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* It's our 30th Year! *

-----Original Message-----

I am just wondering when we will see a change in attitude regarding this.
Speaking as someone who used to have vision, I find it helpful to know where
things are on a page. It helps me build a mental picture of the layout.
Plus this information is of benefit to users of low vision and screen mag
users. It gives them a visual clue of where to look, which can be very
useful when you are only seeing a small piece of the web page at a time (the
size of that piece all depends on what magnification level you use).

Granted being told a link or information is on the left is of very little
use to a desktop screen reader and I am certainly not offended by this. I
would like to put it to the group that screen readers are changing too. For
example, let's say I am using a iPad or Windows Surface or even a Google
Nexus 7. With these devices I can feel where elements are placed on the
page. So being told something is on the left suddenly becomes very useful
to the user who is exploring the screen with their finger.

So maybe W3C need to acknowledge that.

Thoughts anyone?
Chris