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Re: QuestionVisual button order versus announced button focus order

for

From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Jul 8, 2015 4:33PM

Tim, I agree that the visual order should match the tab order, but I would still insist on "Submit" being first, followed by "Back" and, if necessary, "Cancel." (I suspect that's what you meant, but you didn't actually say that was the order that should be matched.)

That's not just the way I understand WCAG's guidance for "Meaningful sequence." It's also what has worked best every time I've done usability testing on an electronic form or Web application.

I agree with Mike Moore that left-aligning the buttons, either in a single row or stacked in a column, is the best way to go.

Whenever I see a design that leads me in another direction, first I ask myself whether we've produced the best design, and then I suggest that we do a lot of usability testing to make sure that the design is as usable as it needs to be.

It could be that the answers are "Yes, it's a good design," and "Yes, it's highly usable and error-free."

It could be. But it would be very unusual. ;-)

Cliff Tyllick
Accessibility Specialist
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services

Sent from my iPhone
Although its spellcheck often saves me, all goofs in sent messages are its fault.

> On Jul 8, 2015, at 2:53 PM, Tim Harshbarger < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
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> Why is the visual order different from the focus/reading sequence order?
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> Unless there is some major benefit to making it look one way and work another way, I would just make the reading and focus order match the visual order. There really doesn't seem to be any major accessibility problem with how the visual order is presented. Make it look and work the same and there shouldn't be any concern about the focus and reading order.
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> Thanks!
> Tim
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