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Thread: Accessibility of Modal Dialogs

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From: Elle
Date: Fri, Feb 11 2011 2:03PM
Subject: Accessibility of Modal Dialogs
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I have been working on creating technical documentation for our development
teams on how to create accessible modal dialogs. Here are the major topics
address:

- keyboard accessibility (with ESC and ENTER key functionality)
- HTML source orde
- tab order and tabindex to trap the focus
- focus being set after closing the modal window


I thought that we were on our way to success. However, someone just told me
that modal dialogs have significant issues with different
browser functionality and problems with tabindex / setting focus if there
are vertical scrolls within the dialog window. Does anyone know of specific
browser issues with modals? Or are there insurmountable global impediments
to creating accessible modal dialogs in general? I plan to do some user
testing of my own, but as a sighted AT user, I don't want to rely on my own
results.


Much appreciated,
Elle

From: adam solomon
Date: Sat, Feb 12 2011 10:15AM
Subject: Re: Accessibility of Modal Dialogs
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Please see the mail from this list dated Feb 8 and titled "changing focus
location for screen readers". This mail contains a pretty good discussion of
the matter at hand. As far as tabindex is concerned, ie8 and firefox
supports it on any element, and to the best of my recollection ie7 also
does. ie6 I am not sure (though it doesn't support aria this may have been a
proprietary thing back then).

On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 10:33 PM, Elle < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> I have been working on creating technical documentation for our development
> teams on how to create accessible modal dialogs. Here are the major topics
> address:
>
> - keyboard accessibility (with ESC and ENTER key functionality)
> - HTML source orde
> - tab order and tabindex to trap the focus
> - focus being set after closing the modal window
>
>
> I thought that we were on our way to success. However, someone just told
> me
> that modal dialogs have significant issues with different
> browser functionality and problems with tabindex / setting focus if there
> are vertical scrolls within the dialog window. Does anyone know of
> specific
> browser issues with modals? Or are there insurmountable global impediments
> to creating accessible modal dialogs in general? I plan to do some user
> testing of my own, but as a sighted AT user, I don't want to rely on my own
> results.
>
>
> Much appreciated,
> Elle
>