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Re: Re-order page content

for

From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Jun 1, 2017 12:54PM

There are some benefits when visual and content order match, mostly
for consistency between an assistive technology user experience and
the experience of a user who does not use a.t.
But if there are reasons to use a different order, that is totally fine.

WCAG 1.3.2 (and, to some extent 2.4.3 if we are talking focus order)
say that content/reading order should match the visual order as a best
practice, but emphasize that the content order only has to be logical.

In this case, put the login instructions before the form in content
order, but use CSS to place them to the right of the login form.
The content order is logical for a.t. users, and users who view the
page without CSS, but optimally placed for those who rely on the
regular page layout.




On 6/1/17, Chagnon | PubCom < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> 150 years' worth of scientific research on human behavior has proven beyond
> any designer's doubt that if you want something to be noticed and read by
> visually sighted people, put it on the right side of the page, preferably on
> the upper right side. Sighted people do not focus on the left side of the
> page. They focus -- and comprehend -- on items on the right side.
>
> I'm worried about some of the following assumptions in the original post.
>
> Quote: "This seems like bad design to me."
>
> That's your opinion as a programmer. But the designers' decision is spot on.
> They want sighted people to read the instructions first, before clicking
> into the login fields. You want the same end result for those using AT: read
> the instructions first before logging in.
>
> So the designers need the instructions placed on the right to meet the goal.
> And AT users need them placed before the login fields in the DOM.
>
> That's why we created stylesheets throughout all communication/publishing
> technologies and media; to allow the stylesheet to adjust the presentation
> to meet the users' needs.
>
> It's crazy to degrade the experience for sighted users to meet accessibility
> requirements for those use AT.
>
> Accommodate all users. A L L users.
>
>
> Quote: "I know that we want the visual order to match the DOM order."
>
> Why? Give me a good reason why this is beneficial to anyone, sighted or AT
> user or designer or programmer.
>
>
> Quote: "Basically this is the reverse of the standard "don't use CSS to
> break visual and DOM order"
>
> When did this become a standard? It might be a recommended practice in some
> situations, but it certainly doesn't fit all situations, including the one
> you've described.
>
> --Bevi Chagnon
> Award-winning designer in multiple disciplines and programmer with
> undergraduate and graduate study in human behavior, perception, and design.
>
>
> > > > >


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