WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

RE: Re: Javascript Rollovers and accessibility

for

From: tedge
Date: Jan 21, 2003 7:17AM

Quote " Reading W3C & other guidelines I believe that using javascript
for rollovers (i.e visual effect only) does not require any additional
accessibility techniques (although I would use the <noscript> to let
users with javascript turned off that it is not conveying essential
info)."

I think IBM sums it up best:
If the nature of the script is to enhance the visual affects only, but
not to communicate additional necessary information, then no additional
accessibility techniques are required. For example, onMouseOver to
highlight the item by changing the background color or to produce purely
decorative effects such as highlighting an image or changing the color
of an element's text do not require additional accessibility techniques.

If the essential tasks of the web site can be accomplished with
scripting turned off or in a browser that doesn't support scripting,
then the scripting is consider non-essential (redundant) and does not
need to be directly accessible. Even though the user interface is
affected and processing occurs as a result of scripts, the scripts may
not be essential in using the function provided by the site. However,
this checkpoint does not prohibit the use of directly accessible
essential scripts nor does it require alternatives for directly
accessible essential scripts.
http://www-3.ibm.com/able/webscripts.html

I believe this is in agreement with section 508:
When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create
interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be
identified with functional text that can be read by assistive
technology. 1194.22(l)

And with the WCAG:
6.3 Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other
programmatic objects are turned off or not supported. If this is not
possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible
page.








----
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/