"Going In Blind Doesn't Help": Cues For Navigation

GraysonPeddie · 03-16-2009, 03:00 PM

Hi everyone! I found some information when it comes to those who are sightless (blind -- those who can't see) and when it comes to major issues with accessing websites such as weather.com.

Here's the PDF (Portable Document Format):
http://www.xeroday.com/portfolio/UPA...aper_final.pdf

When I went into weather.com, I was having trouble getting to the temperature part without using a screen. There are a bunch of tables everywhere! Even with just one row and one column! I was trying to jump through headings within a page and with too many headings and tables (even heading level 5!) -- ugh(!), I had to look at the screen just to get an hour-by-hour forecast. Hitting the "t" key for table does not take me there! I had to press the down arrow key just to get out of the mess of nested tables.

Anyway, the screen reader I use to browse through the Internet using my netbook and virtual machine is called Orca (Orca - GNOME Live!). Anybody who is interested in trying out Orca can download Ubuntu from Ubuntu.com, which came with Orca. Orca is free for Linux (Ubuntu, openSUSE, Slackware, etc.) compared to JAWS (Freedom Scientific - JAWS for Windows Screen Reading Software) for Windows. If you don't want to dual-boot, you can use VirtualBox (VirtualBox).

By the way, I thought I'd start a thread in here, since it's related to the challenge of how the websites are designed.

***VamPyroX*** · 03-18-2009, 12:46 AM

Perhaps, it's because tables are easier to use when incorporating PHP and SQL.

I learned in my web development class that it's easier to to incorporate PHP and SQL when using tables. I can put tables anywhere on the screen and label them as "Box 1", "Box 2", "Box 3", etc... then assign values to them when the page is loaded.

GraysonPeddie · 03-18-2009, 12:51 AM

Yeah. Just don't use tables for layout when possible.

Buffalo · 03-18-2009, 02:27 AM

And anything else that a web designer should not put in ?

GraysonPeddie · 03-18-2009, 02:11 PM

In general, web designers should take a look at this: WAI Guidelines and Techniques

You can put a lot of eye-candy into a website as much as you want, but you've got to take into consideration when making your website accessible for the blind.

***VamPyroX*** · 03-20-2009, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GraysonPeddie

In general, web designers should take a look at this: WAI Guidelines and Techniques

You can put a lot of eye-candy into a website as much as you want, but you've got to take into consideration when making your website accessible for the blind.

And... does that website work for your screen reader?

GraysonPeddie · 03-20-2009, 06:54 AM

W3C works very well with the screen reader.

But if you're referring to eye-candy: If you do put a lot of eyecandy (I'm talking about the ones with slicky borders, glossy-looking buttons, shadows under text, etc.) into a website while making your website accessible at the same time, then yes, it should work. Just make sure you take the guidelines into consideration.

03-16-2009, 03:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
GraysonPeddie Eye/Hear/Speech Impaired Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL 32310 Posts: 1,083	"Going In Blind Doesn't Help": Cues For Navigation Hi everyone! I found some information when it comes to those who are sightless (blind -- those who can't see) and when it comes to major issues with accessing websites such as weather.com. Here's the PDF (Portable Document Format): http://www.xeroday.com/portfolio/UPA...aper_final.pdf When I went into weather.com, I was having trouble getting to the temperature part without using a screen. There are a bunch of tables everywhere! Even with just one row and one column! I was trying to jump through headings within a page and with too many headings and tables (even heading level 5!) -- ugh(!), I had to look at the screen just to get an hour-by-hour forecast. Hitting the "t" key for table does not take me there! I had to press the down arrow key just to get out of the mess of nested tables. Anyway, the screen reader I use to browse through the Internet using my netbook and virtual machine is called Orca (Orca - GNOME Live!). Anybody who is interested in trying out Orca can download Ubuntu from Ubuntu.com, which came with Orca. Orca is free for Linux (Ubuntu, openSUSE, Slackware, etc.) compared to JAWS (Freedom Scientific - JAWS for Windows Screen Reading Software) for Windows. If you don't want to dual-boot, you can use VirtualBox (VirtualBox). By the way, I thought I'd start a thread in here, since it's related to the challenge of how the websites are designed. __________________ ASL Tutorials: http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/page...t/concepts.htm www.lessontutor.com/ASLgenhome.html ASL Grammar: http://daphne.palomar.edu/kstruxness...les%201-06.pdf ASL Browser: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/signs.htm www.aslpro.com

03-18-2009, 12:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
*VamPyroX* bloody phreak from hell Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hell Posts: 31,473	Perhaps, it's because tables are easier to use when incorporating PHP and SQL. I learned in my web development class that it's easier to to incorporate PHP and SQL when using tables. I can put tables anywhere on the screen and label them as "Box 1", "Box 2", "Box 3", etc... then assign values to them when the page is loaded. __________________ Check out my city... CLICK HERE! (If you already visited yesterday, visit again today!)

03-18-2009, 12:51 AM	#3 (permalink)
GraysonPeddie Eye/Hear/Speech Impaired Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL 32310 Posts: 1,083	Yeah. Just don't use tables for layout when possible. __________________ ASL Tutorials: http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/page...t/concepts.htm www.lessontutor.com/ASLgenhome.html ASL Grammar: http://daphne.palomar.edu/kstruxness...les%201-06.pdf ASL Browser: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/signs.htm www.aslpro.com

03-18-2009, 02:27 AM	#4 (permalink)
Buffalo Anobium Pertinax Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,483	And anything else that a web designer should not put in ? __________________ It isn't that they can't see the solution. It is that they can't see the problem. - Gilbert Chesterton

03-18-2009, 02:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
GraysonPeddie Eye/Hear/Speech Impaired Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL 32310 Posts: 1,083	In general, web designers should take a look at this: WAI Guidelines and Techniques You can put a lot of eye-candy into a website as much as you want, but you've got to take into consideration when making your website accessible for the blind. __________________ ASL Tutorials: http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/page...t/concepts.htm www.lessontutor.com/ASLgenhome.html ASL Grammar: http://daphne.palomar.edu/kstruxness...les%201-06.pdf ASL Browser: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/signs.htm www.aslpro.com

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03-20-2009, 06:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
GraysonPeddie Eye/Hear/Speech Impaired Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL 32310 Posts: 1,083	W3C works very well with the screen reader. But if you're referring to eye-candy: If you do put a lot of eyecandy (I'm talking about the ones with slicky borders, glossy-looking buttons, shadows under text, etc.) into a website while making your website accessible at the same time, then yes, it should work. Just make sure you take the guidelines into consideration. __________________ ASL Tutorials: http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/page...t/concepts.htm www.lessontutor.com/ASLgenhome.html ASL Grammar: http://daphne.palomar.edu/kstruxness...les%201-06.pdf ASL Browser: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/signs.htm www.aslpro.com

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