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Thread: Re: form input field with Browse button type=file

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Number of posts in this thread: 5 (In chronological order)

From: Terence de Giere
Date: Wed, Jan 08 2003 10:07PM
Subject: Re: form input field with Browse button type=file
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A few days ago I was playing with forms, not with any great concern
about accessibility as I was using JavaScript, but I was making the
script routines function with keyboard input, and I discovered that the
file upload browse button would not work with the keyboard in two of the
three browsers I was using. In Internet Explorer 6, I could select the
browse button by tabbing, but using the keyboard to try to activate it
submitted the form instead. Netscape 7 skipped over the browse button
entirely - I could only select it with a mouse. With the Opera 7 beta I
was able to select the browse button using the tab key and activate it
by pressing the enter key so I could select a file for upload from the
system's file system; then tabbing to the submit button I could submit
the form to upload the file..

It seems there is a problem with the browsers' keyboard support for this
function, which would automatically cause problems with a screen reader.
I too had never noticed this before. I have not had time to research
this further, but if this holds up under scrutiny, Netscape, IE and
possibly other browser developers need to fix it to make it accessible.
I just tried the Lynx text browser and it cannot access the computer's
file system, so the user needs to know the exact path name and syntax to
type in the file name for upload, as is apparently also the case for IE
and Netscape.


Terence de Giere
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From: Jukka K. Korpela
Date: Thu, Jan 09 2003 7:46AM
Subject: Re: form input field with Browse button type=file
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On Wed, 8 Jan 2003, Terence de Giere wrote:

> - - I discovered that the
> file upload browse button would not work with the keyboard in two of the
> three browsers I was using.

Thanks for bringing this serious problem to our attention. I'm
embarrassed at not having noticed it before, despite being regarded (by
myself and some others) as an expert in accessibility and in file input
issues. I mention this as an indication of how limited our knowledge (or
mine at least) is, despite our efforts to work with and for accessibility.

I have updated my page on file input, adding a short section on
accessibility,
http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/forms/file.html#acc
and I even took the liberty of using your wordings more or less directly.

My practical conclusion is that authors should include some explicit note
about a file input field coming. It may not help much when a user
encounters such a field for the first time in his life, but upon
subsequent occasions, it tells him to stay tuned to something special, and
perhaps at this point, before entering the file input field, to access the
file system outside the browser and find the exact path name of the file
he wants to submit.

--
Jukka "Yucca" Korpela, http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/


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From: Michael Goddard
Date: Fri, Jan 10 2003 9:21AM
Subject: Section 508 and Military Intranet
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I have been asked to consult on a project and give advice for compliance
with Section 508. Here is the scenario.

A gov't branch has an intranet where only their personnel will have access
(No Public Access) which will tie into a database for various other
departments within their intranet infrastructure to input data.

Now my question:

Being that it is a military branch (base) and that there is to be NO public
access to this intranet. Do they really need to comply with Section 508
(1194.1)which specifically states that it is only required to accommodate
federal employees with disabilities and the general public trying to access
such information?

My thoughts are no they do not have to worry about Section 508 due to the
following reasons:

1) Being a military branch - there are restrictions and physical
requirements in order to be enlisted within the military. Which bottom-line
means the number of people WITH disabilities within the military are
virtually nil.

2) Since it is a closed intranet and there will be NO public access then the
criteria for Section 508 )1194.1) is then void.

Am I correct with this line of thinking or is it just an misinterpretation
of the law by me?

I greatly appreciate any information that can be provided with examples that
I can use in helping with this area.

Thank you,

Michael Goddard
Internet Developer/Programmer
TDH Marketing & Communications, Inc.
8153 Garnet Drive
Dayton, OH. 45458
phone: 937.438.3434
fax: 937.438.3453
email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
web: http://www.tdh-marketing.com




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From: tedge
Date: Fri, Jan 10 2003 9:41AM
Subject: RE: Section 508 and Military Intranet
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What if someone with a disability was called to be a consultant and
needed to access their intranet but found it not accessible?
Maybe I am wrong in my view of this but in my way of thinking:
Go ahead and make it accessible just for the sake of accessibility and
not just because you have to.

From: Holly Marie
Date: Fri, Jan 10 2003 12:24PM
Subject: Re: Section 508 and Military Intranet
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Goddard" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >

> Being that it is a military branch (base) and that there is to be NO
public
> access to this intranet. Do they really need to comply with Section 508
> (1194.1)which specifically states that it is only required to accommodate
> federal employees with disabilities and the general public trying to
access
> such information?

I would believe the Same rules apply. Whether it is an IntrAnet, or the
Internet.
Equal opportunity employer[gov], means there is likelihood that a wide range
of people will work on these Intranets.
In which case equal access is important.

More information and resources regarding US policies are listed here:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/Policy/#US

*By state* policies here:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/Policy/USA-States.html

[included in those listings -- governmental/federal agency informaton]

Policies Relating to Web Accessibility [various countries are listed]
http://www.w3.org/WAI/Policy/Overview.html

=I switched systems here, though I did have a link to a Navy website tht had
a really nice set of pages regarding the various items of Sec 508 and
information on how to comply or make work for all their page displays.
Included were topics on Forms and Accessibility.


Holly



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