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Re: Accessible web forms: default text in edit boxes and text areas

for

From: Mark Magennis
Date: Feb 24, 2005 4:12AM


We have seen default place-holder text cause usability problems many
times in user tests. A typical example is where a site has a Search box
containing text such as "Enter search keywords". Here are some real
queries that different users have entered during two recent user tests,
most of the time without realising it:

"equalityEnter your search keywords"
"EntDisability Biller keywords"
"Enter keywordsDisability Bill"

Mark

Dr. Mark Magennis
Director of the Centre for Inclusive Technology (CFIT)
National Council for the Blind of Ireland
Whitworth Road, Dublin 9, Republic of Ireland

<EMAIL REMOVED> tel: +353 (0)71 914 7464