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RE: Accessible Matrix Forms

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From: Alastair Campbell
Date: May 12, 2006 2:40AM

Jukka K. Korpela wrote:
"You cannot, in matrix design. Each radio button in a matrix
logically has two labels, the row name and the column name. But this
means that you cannot assign a label to such a button."

I think this is a real problem then, a lot of surveys and questionnaires
use these, including government and research forms.

It appears structurally that it should be fine in a table, using
headings to act as pseudo-labels. Except I'm pretty sure that doesn't
works in 'forms mode' in screen readers.

Do these forms present a problem to anyone else? Assuming the are not so
big as to require a lot of scrolling for people with small screens or
magnifiers, and so long as the terminology is understandable (a grey
area, I know).

I tackled this once before, and ended up with each 'row' (not using a
table) in a fieldset, and hiding labels next to each radio button. Are
there any other options?

Kind regards,

-Alastair

--
Alastair Campbell | Director of User Experience

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