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Re: Query in relation to Web Page order when you cannot see the page.

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From: Alastair Campbell
Date: Oct 19, 2015 9:22AM

Hi Sean,

When you asked:

> As I do not know the visual layout, how do you validate that the tab order
> as you move through the page...
>

That's a tough question, historically the source order and visual order are
somewhat linked due to the limitations of layout with (tables or) CSS.

Things like tabindex could over-ride order when tabbing (but not arrowing),
but that was discouraged anyway and was fairly rare.

I don't know if you saw the thread "Flexbox layout ordering and tabbing
order", but with CSS grid layouts the source order and visual order can be
completely different, essentially un-related.

That can be used well, or create a lot of issues, it is powerful.

I was arguing that it would help if access technologies used the visual
order (as defined in the CSS) instead of the HTML source order. That way
you (using a screen reader) would get the same order as everyone else.

As it stands I don't know of a good method you could use short of the
mouse-cursor feature, or perhaps using iOS with VoiceOver and running your
finger over the screen. I suspect it would still be difficult to relate
the 2D form to the source order you hear with Jaws.

-Alastair