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Re: Sortable Table Question

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From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Apr 1, 2003 12:04PM

Lisa,

For someone using a screen reader, I believe they will have to start at the top of the table every time the sorting order is changed. Probably, the screen reader will do that if the page is refreshed. However, the user will need to move focus up to the column headings in order to be able to select one.

For example, if you had a table with address information in it... In order for a person using something like a screen reader to cause the table information to be sorted by State, the user would need to click on the column heading. To make the column headings "clickable" for someone using assistive technologies, like screen readers, the user would need to be able to use the keyboard to click on the heading. This means the column headings will need to be some kind of accessible interactive element such as a link or button.

In my case, I use a screen reader. If I were using such an interface, it might go something like this.

I find out I will be taking a business trip to Atlanta. I figure while I am there, I want to see if I can meet with some of my accessibility colleagues there.

Once I get to the table, I decide I want to sort by City. So first, I tab to the City link and press enter. The table resorts and I start reading from the top of the table. While I am looking up colleagues on the address table, I receive a phone call from a developer. She wants to know the e-mail address for our contact at company XYZ. Since I am down in the table, I back tab (Shift+Tab) back to the Company link where I press enter again. Now I can go look up the contact for that company.

I hope this information is helpful.

Thanks,
Tim

-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED> [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 11:39 AM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: Sortable Table Question



My question concerns tables which allow the contents to be sorted on the
page by clicking on one of the header titles. The table is then sorted
based on that column. My question - does this cause a problem for
accessibility? My guess would be 'Yes'. If the page is resorted, does the
user have to start over reading the table at the top each time? Or do they
stay somewhere in the middle of the table, where the row they are on may
have just changed? Has anyone run across this? Any opinions?

Thanks,
Lisa

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To err is human; to forgive is good user interface design.

Lisa F. Miller
BWXT Y-12 Technical Computing
Email: <EMAIL REMOVED> Phone: 574-8946