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Re: Screen Shots and A11y

for

From: Dave Merrill
Date: Jun 10, 2013 12:03PM

Haven't used any of these, but there are browser add-ons that may be
helpful for seeing what element a saved xpath expression points to.

For Firefox:
- https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/firepath/
-
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-Us/firefox/addon/firefinder-for-firebug/?src=search

For Chrome:
-
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xpath-helper/hgimnogjllphhhkhlmebbmlgjoejdpjl?hl=en
-
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xpath-viewer/oemacabgcknpcikelclomjajcdpbilpf?hl=en

There are others too.

Dave Merrill


On Mon, Jun 10, 2013 at 8:33 AM, Birkir R. Gunnarsson <
<EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> Dave
>
> Good points.
> Ideally I'd like to combine all 3 elements here:
> Find the XPath to the element or section of the site that is giving me
> problems.
> Be able to highlight it using the XPath and then take a screen shot
> (that way the developer or admin gets a screenshot of the page at the
> time I discovered the problem, with a visual indicator).
> Then I provide a text description as well.
>
> The question is to what extent I can use this technique, i.e. can I
> somehow highlight a section of a page that I point to via an XPath,
> the rest is fairly straight-forward I think.
> I'll check with me colleagues re Firebug in this regard, may be that's
> all that's needed.
> Cheers
> -B
>
> On 6/10/13, Dave Merrill < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> > An xpath representation of the object you're referring to is very
> specific,
> > which is good, but its specificity also makes it very fragile. It's very
> > possible for otherwise unimportant changes, even invisible ones, to break
> > it, or make it refer to the wrong element.
> >
> > As a developer myself, I'd think a text description would be best, and
> > possibly a screenshot. However, I'm sighted. If I wasn't, this
> > communication would be more difficult, but me thinking that may just be a
> > reflection of not having dealt with it all day every day for a long time.
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Jun 10, 2013 at 7:41 AM, Birkir R. Gunnarsson <
> > <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi
> >>
> >> Agree that screenshots are not very helpful to the screenreader user.
> >> However, I have had problems making sure, when I deliver an
> >> accessibility evaluation, that there is no ambiguity for the sighted
> >> site developer, where I am encountering an issue (especially on a
> >> large site).
> >> After all, I can't use a language like "the red square logo on the
> >> bottom left of the screen only works with the mouse", not without
> >> sighted assistance.
> >> I use XPath currently to mark the piece of code I am referring to,
> >> which is helpful for the developers, but I need to find out if there
> >> is a way to paste an XPath query into a browser and have the browser
> >> automatically highlight that section or page element, ideally
> >> something that could be done very easily.
> >> I have been playing around with Firebug for Firefox, nd you can easily
> >> get the XPath of the element from there.
> >> However I am not sure what happens when you past the XPath expression
> >> back
> >> in.
> >> Cheers
> >> -B
> >>
> >> On 6/10/13, <EMAIL REMOVED> < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> >> > in my experience as a screen reader user screen shots have little
> value
> >> as
> >> > they are an image that is not readable. The only value that they have
> >> > is
> >> for
> >> >
> >> > me to demonstrate an inaccessible web page to a developer or sight
> >> > master
> >> > when I am using their site.
> >> > Chuck
> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > From: "David Ashleydale" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> >> > To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> >> > Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 2:32 PM
> >> > Subject: [WebAIM] Screen Shots and A11y
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >>
> >> >> My web site often has screen shots of pages as an introduction to
> some
> >> >> new
> >> >> functionality, in addition to describing the functionality in the
> >> >> accompanying text. The screen shots are meant to familiarize users
> >> >> with
> >> >> how
> >> >> the service might look if they were to sign up for it. However, this
> >> >> is
> >> >> very visually-oriented. I don't think there's even a very practical
> >> >> way
> >> >> of
> >> >> describing a screen shot in ALT text. Or at least, ALT text wouldn't
> >> >> provide the same purpose as the screen shot, which is specifically to
> >> >> show
> >> >> the user what it will look like.
> >> >>
> >> >> Would screen shots be considered "decorative" and therefore be given
> >> null
> >> >> ALT text? Or should there be a completely different strategy that
> >> >> would
> >> >> take the place of a screen shot for users that are unable to see it?
> >> >>
> >> >> Thanks,
> >> >> David Ashleydale
> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >
> >> > > >> > > >> > > >> >
> >> > >> > >> > >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Dave Merrill
> > > > > > > >
> > > >



--
Dave Merrill