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Screenreader testing a JavaScript 'enhanced' page

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From: Oliver Boermans
Date: Jun 28, 2006 1:00AM


Hi All

Firstly - because a demo is worth a thousand words (Click on an orange link):
<http://www.ollicle.com/eg/inline-glossary/>;

The purpose of the JavaScript in this page is to make finding the
definition of certain words less disruptive to reading. Clicking on a
term (orange link) pops up a description directly underneath the word.
Without the script these links point to glossary at the bottom of the
page.

Screenreader users are particularly important to my accessibility
conscious client <http://www.novita.org.au>;. I have been attempting to
test this functionality using JAWS with Internet Explorer with mixed
results. It's difficult for me to know to what degree my problems can
be attributed to my JAWS operator deficiencies or otherwise. I was
surprised for instance that JAWS did not read my carefully included
title attributes!

So basically I'm after feedback from people who are more accustomed to
designing for or using JAWS or similar software.

The latest version of the demo page is here:
<http://www.ollicle.com/eg/inline-glossary/v1/>;

It seems to me that a method similar to what I have used here for
'hiding' inline content could have numerous applications - providing
it can be made reliably accessible?

Cheers Ollie