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Re: Accessible popup menus

for

From: Don Hinshaw
Date: Jul 28, 2005 10:37PM

Glenda Watson Hyatt wrote:

>Am I missing something?? I seem to need to tab eleven or twelve times to
>get to Section 4. That seems excesive. Is there a shortcut I'm missing?
>
>I'm finding this thread very useful as I would like to add drop down menus
>to my own site - www.webaccessibility.biz - to make the navigation more
>compact. But, as a person with limited hand function, I sometimes curse
>dropdowns/flyouts when using my joystick because I end up on the wrong
>submenu if my hand is shaky. I end up going somewhere where I didn't want
>to go. So, I'm not convinced yet I want to do that to people on my site.
>
>I'm open to ideas if someone can show me a truly accessible method
>
>
>
>
I'm not sure the number of tabs is relevant to whether these menus are
accessible or not. If Section 4 is the last of a series of links you
will still have to tab that many times to reach it whether they are in
drop down menus or all visible on the page like Rob's, right?

One thing I am struggling with and I haven't heard a really clear answer
to (I was hoping that Jim would reappear since it was his comment that
started us off!) is *why* those people who consider Al's menus to be
inaccesible feel that way. The only real specific comment I have heard
is that they don't work so well when tabbed through backwards.
Admittedly I am an accessibility neophyte, but this is the first time I
have heard that issue raised.

As for Glenda's very reasonable complaint about being able to maneuver
through many drop-down type menus, this seems more an issue of the size
of the target than the technology used.

So, I'll ask again...Why do you consider these menus inaccessible?

cheers,
Don

--
Don Hinshaw
Hinshaw Design Group
http://www.hinshawdesign.com