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Thread: How JAWS reads checkboxes

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Number of posts in this thread: 6 (In chronological order)

From: Helene VINH
Date: Wed, Jan 27 2016 5:55AM
Subject: How JAWS reads checkboxes
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Hello,

I have a question concerning the way JAWS reads checkboxes.

Implementing a very basic checkbox as follow:

<input type="checkbox" id="myCheckbox" />
<label for="myCheckbox">Pizza</label>

JAWS is reading twice the label using the arrow keys: "Pizza checkbox not checked", then again "Pizza".
Is that the normal behaviour of JAWS? I tested with JAWS 15 and 16. NVDA does not repeat the label.

Thanks

Helene Vinh
Developer at Amadeus

From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Wed, Jan 27 2016 6:07AM
Subject: Re: How JAWS reads checkboxes
← Previous message | Next message →

Yes it is expected behavior for Jaws.
It sees the checkbox input looks up its accessible name (from the
label) and announces it.
Then you arrow down and hit the label tag itself, Jaws reads its contents.
It's a minor annoyance, but I prefer that to potentially missing out
on the label



On 1/27/16, Helene VINH < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a question concerning the way JAWS reads checkboxes.
>
> Implementing a very basic checkbox as follow:
>
> <input type="checkbox" id="myCheckbox" />
> <label for="myCheckbox">Pizza</label>
>
> JAWS is reading twice the label using the arrow keys: "Pizza checkbox not
> checked", then again "Pizza".
> Is that the normal behaviour of JAWS? I tested with JAWS 15 and 16. NVDA
> does not repeat the label.
>
> Thanks
>
> Helene Vinh
> Developer at Amadeus
>
> > > > >


--
Work hard. Have fun. Make history.

From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Wed, Jan 27 2016 6:16AM
Subject: Re: How JAWS reads checkboxes
← Previous message | Next message →

Yes, I believe that is typical in browse mode for JAWs and it is ok that it does that.

This is one of those areas where behaviors of screen readers can be different, but either behavior is perfectly ok.

The reason I say that is, in both cases, the screen reader reads the name of the checkbox when you move to it. The difference is just that one screen reader decided that the label does not exist separately from the checkbox (or they feel that is a better user experience) while the other screen reader considers that label also to be a separate piece of information in addition to being the name of the checkbox (or they feel their approach makes for a better user experience.)

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Helene VINH
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 6:56 AM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: [WebAIM] How JAWS reads checkboxes

Hello,

I have a question concerning the way JAWS reads checkboxes.

Implementing a very basic checkbox as follow:

<input type="checkbox" id="myCheckbox" />
<label for="myCheckbox">Pizza</label>

JAWS is reading twice the label using the arrow keys: "Pizza checkbox not checked", then again "Pizza".
Is that the normal behaviour of JAWS? I tested with JAWS 15 and 16. NVDA does not repeat the label.

Thanks

Helene Vinh
Developer at Amadeus

From: Michael Bullis
Date: Wed, Jan 27 2016 6:22AM
Subject: Re: How JAWS reads checkboxes
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I used my first screen reader in 1980. It continues to be frustrating that, after thirty-five years, there are no firm standards for what is expected.
I think that, long ago, companies should have agreed on similar keystrokes for similar actions, and, for similar reading of things like checkboxes. We continue to be marginalized because each company feels like its method is better. The effect is that one cannot easily move between screen readers without learning a multitude of new keystrokes and behaviors.




Michael Bullis
Executive Director,
The IMAGE Center of Maryland
300 E. Joppa Road,
Suite 312
Towson MD
21286
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Office: 443-275-9394
Cell: 443-286-9001
Website: www.imagemd.org

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Tim Harshbarger
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 8:17 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] How JAWS reads checkboxes

Yes, I believe that is typical in browse mode for JAWs and it is ok that it does that.

This is one of those areas where behaviors of screen readers can be different, but either behavior is perfectly ok.

The reason I say that is, in both cases, the screen reader reads the name of the checkbox when you move to it. The difference is just that one screen reader decided that the label does not exist separately from the checkbox (or they feel that is a better user experience) while the other screen reader considers that label also to be a separate piece of information in addition to being the name of the checkbox (or they feel their approach makes for a better user experience.)

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Helene VINH
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 6:56 AM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: [WebAIM] How JAWS reads checkboxes

Hello,

I have a question concerning the way JAWS reads checkboxes.

Implementing a very basic checkbox as follow:

<input type="checkbox" id="myCheckbox" />
<label for="myCheckbox">Pizza</label>

JAWS is reading twice the label using the arrow keys: "Pizza checkbox not checked", then again "Pizza".
Is that the normal behaviour of JAWS? I tested with JAWS 15 and 16. NVDA does not repeat the label.

Thanks

Helene Vinh
Developer at Amadeus

From: Helene VINH
Date: Wed, Jan 27 2016 6:40AM
Subject: Re: How JAWS reads checkboxes
← Previous message | Next message →

Thank you all for your quick answers!
It is indeed very annoying that screen readers do not have a standard behaviour for such basic elements.
And I did not want to do some hacks with aria-label + hiding the real label as the current code is standard and clean.

Helene Vinh
Developer at Amadeus s.a.s.

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Michael Bullis
Sent: 27 January 2016 14:22
To: 'WebAIM Discussion List' < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] How JAWS reads checkboxes

I used my first screen reader in 1980. It continues to be frustrating that, after thirty-five years, there are no firm standards for what is expected.
I think that, long ago, companies should have agreed on similar keystrokes for similar actions, and, for similar reading of things like checkboxes. We continue to be marginalized because each company feels like its method is better. The effect is that one cannot easily move between screen readers without learning a multitude of new keystrokes and behaviors.




Michael Bullis
Executive Director,
The IMAGE Center of Maryland
300 E. Joppa Road,
Suite 312
Towson MD
21286
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Office: 443-275-9394
Cell: 443-286-9001
Website: www.imagemd.org

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Tim Harshbarger
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 8:17 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] How JAWS reads checkboxes

Yes, I believe that is typical in browse mode for JAWs and it is ok that it does that.

This is one of those areas where behaviors of screen readers can be different, but either behavior is perfectly ok.

The reason I say that is, in both cases, the screen reader reads the name of the checkbox when you move to it. The difference is just that one screen reader decided that the label does not exist separately from the checkbox (or they feel that is a better user experience) while the other screen reader considers that label also to be a separate piece of information in addition to being the name of the checkbox (or they feel their approach makes for a better user experience.)

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Helene VINH
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 6:56 AM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: [WebAIM] How JAWS reads checkboxes

Hello,

I have a question concerning the way JAWS reads checkboxes.

Implementing a very basic checkbox as follow:

<input type="checkbox" id="myCheckbox" /> <label for="myCheckbox">Pizza</label>

JAWS is reading twice the label using the arrow keys: "Pizza checkbox not checked", then again "Pizza".
Is that the normal behaviour of JAWS? I tested with JAWS 15 and 16. NVDA does not repeat the label.

Thanks

Helene Vinh
Developer at Amadeus

From: Chagnon | PubCom.com
Date: Wed, Jan 27 2016 6:49AM
Subject: Re: How JAWS reads checkboxes
← Previous message | No next message

Isn't that what WCAG and PDF/UA standards are for...guiding developers, including the developers of assistive technologies/user agents?

If so, then Michael, are you saying that the companies who help create our international accessibility standards should actually build their software to those standards?
Wow!
What a novel idea <grin>.

--Bevi Chagnon
PubCom.com

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Michael Bullis
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 8:22 AM
To: 'WebAIM Discussion List' < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] How JAWS reads checkboxes

I used my first screen reader in 1980. It continues to be frustrating that, after thirty-five years, there are no firm standards for what is expected.
I think that, long ago, companies should have agreed on similar keystrokes for similar actions, and, for similar reading of things like checkboxes. We continue to be marginalized because each company feels like its method is better. The effect is that one cannot easily move between screen readers without learning a multitude of new keystrokes and behaviors.




Michael Bullis
Executive Director,
The IMAGE Center of Maryland
300 E. Joppa Road,
Suite 312
Towson MD
21286
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Office: 443-275-9394
Cell: 443-286-9001
Website: www.imagemd.org