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Re: repetetive navigation

for

From: Terence de Giere
Date: Feb 5, 2003 8:22PM

I am assuming you are using the Hiermenus code available from
http://www.webreference.com/dhtml/hiermenus/

You can put a list of regular links in an HTML NOSCRIPT element and
these will show to users that have JavaScript turned off or have
JavaScript unavailable. However, there are a number of browsers that do
not show the Hiermenus when JavaScript is on, so NOSCRIPT alternative
links will not work for these users because they will be hidden when
JavaScript is on.

Further, keyboard-only users cannot tab into the Hiermenus: IE 6 and
Netscape 7 skip over the menus entirely - users can see them but cannot
activate them without a mouse. So the only way to provide for visual
users in this situation is to place normal links to the same URLs on the
page, which is also the best solution for screen reader users, text
browser users, audio browser users. In this situation, having visible
text links at least for the highest level of the links in the
hierarchical menu is necessary so a user can get to the alternate page
with the rest of the links. That does not provide an 'equivalent'
experience to many users, who will not experience the same depth of the
multilevel menu on the same page.

The secondary page that the main links go to at least should have the
same structure as the link levels in hierarchical menus. I have seen
sites where the names and descriptions of links on a secondary page do
not correspond to what is on the primary page in hierarchical menu,
which can be confusing for some users who experience both the
hierarchical menus and the secondary page of alternative links.

An alternate way of coding hierarchical menus can be found at
http://www.codestyle.org/javascript/dom/css/visibility-HorizontalMenus.shtml
The main links on the menu can be selected from the keyboard, but not
the secondary links, which do not show with keyboard access. The main
links will also show in text and other browsers that do not support
JavaScript. The Code Style menus are a bit 'clunky' as far as format
compared to the Hiermenus at webreference, but are more accessible, but
even here, the experience is not the equivalent of a visual user who can
use a mouse.

Nothing is as accessible and easy to use as a regular text link. With
the webreference Hiermenus you will need to use visible redundant plain
text links on the same page. Note that users who can use a mouse but
whose hands shake may create a situation where the secondary levels of
the menus flash on or off or alternate quickly creating an animation effect.

Terence de Giere
<EMAIL REMOVED>



<EMAIL REMOVED> wrote:

>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>webaim-forum-d Digest Volume 2003 : Issue 24
>
>Today's Topics:
> repetitive navigation [ "Dozier, Mae" < <EMAIL REMOVED> . ]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject:
> repetitive navigation
> From:
> "Dozier, Mae" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> Date:
> Tue, 4 Feb 2003 16:19:01 -0500
> To:
> <EMAIL REMOVED>
>
>
>I'm sending this question again, as I did not get any answers and I'm hoping someone will answer this time:
>
>We've just bought and I am implementing Hiermenus navigation system. And, we're redesigning both Internet and Intranet for updated designs and to make them 508 compliant. I know there is a way to put in the page both the link to the main content of the page as well as the explanation that this is a javascript navigation menu and send them to the site index that has text links. Can someone help with how to do this?
>
>Thanks, Mae
>
>
>
>
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