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Thread: Q: More Excel questions
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From: Bevi Chagnon
Date: Tue, Apr 17 2012 6:20PM
Subject: Q: More Excel questions
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I'm trying to sort out a bunch of conflicting issues about accessible Excel
spreadsheets.
From the government agency's guidelines (not Sec. 508 or WCAG):
"Formula cells are indicated by a comment to alert users of their
functionality. The comment is the actual formula in the cell so that an
Assistive Technology (AT) screen reader will alert the user to what it is
doing."
Screen readers can't read formulas in spreadsheets? If AT can't read a
spreadsheet formula, what the heck are they doing in a spreadsheet to begin
with? The function of a spreadsheet is to organize data and perform
calculations via formulas.
Control + F2 reads the formula in JAWS.
Is there a reason why a comment should be placed on the cell with the
formula with the comment repeating the formula?
--Bevi
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Bevi Chagnon | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
PubCom - Trainers, consultants, designers, and developers
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From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Tue, Apr 17 2012 7:23PM
Subject: Re: Q: More Excel questions
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Hello
The answer is a resounding no. Screen readers are aware of formulas
and will announce them (except NvDA I believe, at least v 2010.2 did
not recognize formulas, but I would not recommend NVDA for Excel
users, at least not back then).
In fact more screen readers recognize formulas in spreadsheet cells
than comments, so having the formula of a cell in its comments serves
absolutely no purpose.
You can always read a cells formula by pressing f2 to edit it, and
then treat it like a multi-line edit field, using text reading
commands to explore the formula).
I am pretty durn sure about this, this guideline is absolutely
nonsensical for screen reader users.
Cheers
-B
On 4/18/12, Bevi Chagnon < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I'm trying to sort out a bunch of conflicting issues about accessible Excel
> spreadsheets.
>
> From the government agency's guidelines (not Sec. 508 or WCAG):
>
> "Formula cells are indicated by a comment to alert users of their
> functionality. The comment is the actual formula in the cell so that an
> Assistive Technology (AT) screen reader will alert the user to what it is
> doing."
>
> Screen readers can't read formulas in spreadsheets? If AT can't read a
> spreadsheet formula, what the heck are they doing in a spreadsheet to begin
> with? The function of a spreadsheet is to organize data and perform
> calculations via formulas.
>
> Control + F2 reads the formula in JAWS.
>
> Is there a reason why a comment should be placed on the cell with the
> formula with the comment repeating the formula?
>
> --Bevi
>
> -----------------------------------------------------
> Bevi Chagnon | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> PubCom - Trainers, consultants, designers, and developers
> Print | Web | Acrobat | XML | eBooks | Section 508
> -----------------------------------------------------
> Classes: www.PubCom.com/classes
> Publishing Blog: www.pubcom.com/blog
> -----------------------------------------------------
> *** It's our 31st Year! ***
>
>
>
> > > >
From: Andrews, David B (DEED)
Date: Wed, Apr 18 2012 7:55AM
Subject: Re: Q: More Excel questions
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I'm trying to sort out a bunch of conflicting issues about accessible Excel spreadsheets.
From the government agency's guidelines (not Sec. 508 or WCAG):
"Formula cells are indicated by a comment to alert users of their functionality. The comment is the actual formula in the cell so that an Assistive Technology (AT) screen reader will alert the user to what it is doing."
DA: I don't understand this -- I use spreadsheets almost daily, with JAWS, and formulas are read. I would just ignore this requirement, unless of course there is something I don't know!
Dave