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Re: Opening PDF, Word Documents or other sites like Dropbox, One Drive or Google Drive in a new window ...

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From: Joshua Hori
Date: Aug 15, 2023 9:02PM

PDF's opened in browsers remove accessibility features of the PDF. Sure, you can access the text, but navigation is gone. There's a separate Chrome app to interact with PDF's for Chromebook users.

Opening within the same window as viewing content also helps those with lower end computers. I’ve worked with students whose computers froze if opening a new tab. Dell is still selling laptops with 4G of RAM and if you add in some AT, that system bogs down quickly.

Here's some helpful keyboard shortcuts for links:
SHIFT+Link – Opens link in new browser window
ALT+Link – downloads the link
CTRL+Link – opens link in new tab

There is no keyboard shortcut to tell a link NOT to open in a new tab.

As for cloud links, there's at least one cloud service that's inaccessible when iframed into pages.

Best,

Joshua Hori
Accessible Technology Coordinator
Information Educational Technology
Academic Technology Services
50 Hutchison Dr.
Davis, CA 95616
530-752-2439


From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > on behalf of Bishop, Jeff - (jeffbis) < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 2:46 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Opening PDF, Word Documents or other sites like Dropbox, One Drive or Google Drive in a new window ...
I want to thank everyone for their comments. The position I am suggesting to the University of Arizona is to open in a new window with a notice on the text of the link. Again, thanks so much everyone.

Jeff

From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Kevin Prince
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2023 2:43 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: [EXT]Re: [WebAIM] Opening PDF, Word Documents or other sites like Dropbox, One Drive or Google Drive in a new window ...


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Absolutely lucy - the techniques are not a "DO NOT" but a "do not unnecessarily but if you do warn". I would strongly argue that opening a file is a change of context sufficient to deserve a new window - especially if I want to open another.

Kevin
Kevin Prince
Product Accessibility & Usability Consultant

Foster Moore
A Teranet Company

E <EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Christchurch
fostermoore.com<http://www.fostermoore.com/>;