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RE: Accessibility issues and AJAX

for

From: Andrew Kirkpatrick
Date: Nov 30, 2005 1:40PM

> "(l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display
> content, or to create interface elements, the information
> provided by the script shall be identified with functional
> text that can be read by assistive technology."
>
> The key phrase there IMHO is "or to create interface
> elements". We feel that script-only links comprise interface
> elements, and there should, at minimum be equivalent paths to
> the same linked pages if scripting is off. Perhaps one can
> view the strict language of 508 in a limited way as to not
> require this, but it feels wrong and not in the spirit of
> accessibility.

508 isn't about the spirit of accessibility. If you are concerned with
the spirit of accessibility you probably don't need to worry too much
about 508 since you're likely to be already attending to access issues.

If you create an interface element with a script, that's perfectly OK
under 508 so long as the information created by the script is accessible
to assistive technologies. You won't find anything in 508 that says that
it needs to work when scipts are disabled...

AWK