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Re: Text Only Version

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From: Jean Watkins
Date: Sep 10, 2001 10:21AM

Ugh. Well, I guess I sort of knew this too. However, I felt that some users
could get confused when they clicked on an outside link and didn't realize
they left our site. What we have done is include a small sentence that
states that outside links will open a new browser window and that our site
will remain open in the background. Is this practice okay to do since we
tell them? We don't ever send up advertising pop-ups or anything like that.
Isn't that what the guidelines are really trying to avoid?
Jean L. Watkins
<EMAIL REMOVED>
http://www.AbilityForum.com
Community Access Through Technology
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----- Original Message -----
> This is a W3C-WAI Priority 2 guideline.
>
> See http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/wai-pageauth.html#tech-avoid-pop-ups
>
> "Priority 2: 10.1 Until user agents allow users to turn off spawned
> windows, do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change
> the current window without informing the user."
>
> Most experienced Web users realize what happens when they select a link
> that takes them to a new window. They can explore the Web in this new
> window. Or they can close the window and go back to the original
> site. However, for "inexperienced" Web users, or for users with some
> functional impairments, this can cause confusion.
>
> By my understanding, some screen-readers alert users when they have been
> "switched" to a new window. However, other screen readers do not alert
the
> user when this has happened. If you, as the user, cannot "see" a new
> window pop up on your screen, you may get lost or confused as to where you
> are in the site. This might also cause confusion to some individuals with
> cognitive disabilities.
>
> If you feel you need to open a new window, then alert the user. Some web
> developers are now putting "(Opens new browser window.)" behind the link
> that opens a new window. An acquaintance of mine who is blind and uses
> Windows-Eyes finds this method useful when he is using Web sites.
>
> See http://webaccess.scetv.org/training.html for an example. This is one
> section of a site developed by the SC Web Site Accessibility Workgroup,
> which has been working towards providing Web accessibility training for
Web
> developers/designers in SC state government.
>
> While this is not a Priority 1 WAI guideline nor a Section 508 standard,
> this is one more step that a Web developer can do to make a site more
> accessible to a portion of the population.
>
>
> Wendy R. Mullin
> Web Developer, University of South Carolina
> 1244 Blossom Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208
> voice: 803-777-6785 | fax: 803-777-4149
> <EMAIL REMOVED> | http://isg.csd.sc.edu/~wmullin/
>
>