Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/cssquirrel/www.cssquirrel.com/blog/index.php:4) in /home/cssquirrel/www.cssquirrel.com/blog/wp-includes/feed-rss2-comments.php on line 8
Comments on: Comic Update: Squirrel In The Dark http://cssquirrel.com/blog/2009/08/31/comic-update-squirrel-in-the-dark/ opinions and news on web design Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:22:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Erik Vorhes http://cssquirrel.com/blog/2009/08/31/comic-update-squirrel-in-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-26926 Erik Vorhes Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:26:25 +0000 http://www.cssquirrel.com/?p=420#comment-26926 One thing to look into for the JavaScript stuff (since some assistive technologies operate without disabling it) would be some of the attributes in the <a href="http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/aria" rel="nofollow">WAI-ARIA specification</a>. (Sure, it means that pre-HTML5 code won't validate, unless you're using XHTML 1.1, but I'll take accessibility over validation any day.) The ARIA spec can be a bit intimidating, but there's some decent stuff out there to help you through, including <a href="http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/introduction-to-wai-aria/" rel="nofollow">Gez Lemon's introduction</a>. One thing to look into for the JavaScript stuff (since some assistive technologies operate without disabling it) would be some of the attributes in the WAI-ARIA specification. (Sure, it means that pre-HTML5 code won’t validate, unless you’re using XHTML 1.1, but I’ll take accessibility over validation any day.)

The ARIA spec can be a bit intimidating, but there’s some decent stuff out there to help you through, including Gez Lemon’s introduction.

]]>
By: Rhyaniwyn http://cssquirrel.com/blog/2009/08/31/comic-update-squirrel-in-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-26912 Rhyaniwyn Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:41:29 +0000 http://www.cssquirrel.com/?p=420#comment-26912 Well, sometimes I don't think you can make "it" work for everyone. ;-) But hopefully you can make it degrade and provide alternatives for everyone. How do you alert a blind user of an ajax dialog? I haven't ever used a screen reader to be sure, but if you <a href="login.html" id="login"> where #login hooks to the javascript which loads login.html in an ajax dialog, but without javascript it just goes straight to login... I hope that would work fine. Like you, I've always meant to do more. I use the techniques I know of, but I also know there is a lot more to it and I always intend to delve deeper. But it always gets put off in favor of something else, even though it shouldn't. What good is my alt text if it's poorly written? What's the best way to describe the image, really? And having never used a screen reader myself to experience it, how can I be sure what I'm doing really works? I've delayed investigating the most fundamental aspects -- where do I find assistive software for testing? Are there any tutorials for writing good alternative text? Only after simulating the experience and assuring my content itself is accessible can I really begin to think critically about the techniques to deliver content accessibly... Well, sometimes I don’t think you can make “it” work for everyone. ;-) But hopefully you can make it degrade and provide alternatives for everyone. How do you alert a blind user of an ajax dialog? I haven’t ever used a screen reader to be sure, but if you <a href=”login.html” id=”login”> where #login hooks to the javascript which loads login.html in an ajax dialog, but without javascript it just goes straight to login… I hope that would work fine.

Like you, I’ve always meant to do more. I use the techniques I know of, but I also know there is a lot more to it and I always intend to delve deeper. But it always gets put off in favor of something else, even though it shouldn’t.

What good is my alt text if it’s poorly written? What’s the best way to describe the image, really? And having never used a screen reader myself to experience it, how can I be sure what I’m doing really works?

I’ve delayed investigating the most fundamental aspects — where do I find assistive software for testing? Are there any tutorials for writing good alternative text? Only after simulating the experience and assuring my content itself is accessible can I really begin to think critically about the techniques to deliver content accessibly…

]]>
By: John Foliot http://cssquirrel.com/blog/2009/08/31/comic-update-squirrel-in-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-26908 John Foliot Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:28:22 +0000 http://www.cssquirrel.com/?p=420#comment-26908 Following along from Matt's comment, Marco Zehe posted a superb tutorial on using NVDA and Firefox to test your site for accessibility. Marco is one of the great developers working within the Mozilla Foundation enhancing the accessibility of that browser. Read his post at: http://www.marcozehe.de/articles/how-to-use-nvda-and-firefox-to-test-your-web-pages-for-accessibility/ While testing to address the needs of the non-sighted user is a great thing to implement into your QA cycle, don't forget that there are other types of access barriers that also need to be accounted for. Users with mobility impairments, audio impairments and cognitive impairments all have needs that transcend simple "alt text for images". If in doubt, developers should not hesitate to pose questions to any number of on-line fora where old dogs like me hang out: http://www.webaim.org has a great mailing list, as does the W3C's WAI http://w3c.org/wai. The UK's Guild of Accessible Web Developers (GAWDS - http://www.gawds.org/ ) has an active mailing list as well as other useful resources, and Accessify http://accessify.com/ features a number of useful developer tools and a great forum. Finally, on-line educational resources include both the WaSP Interact http://interact.webstandards.org/ and Opera's Web Standards Curriculum http://www.opera.com/company/education/curriculum/ providing developers with potential solutions to improve accessibility of their sites. Thanks Kyle for "shedding some light" on an important topic. Following along from Matt’s comment, Marco Zehe posted a superb tutorial on using NVDA and Firefox to test your site for accessibility. Marco is one of the great developers working within the Mozilla Foundation enhancing the accessibility of that browser. Read his post at: http://www.marcozehe.de/articles/how-to-use-nvda-and-firefox-to-test-your-web-pages-for-accessibility/

While testing to address the needs of the non-sighted user is a great thing to implement into your QA cycle, don’t forget that there are other types of access barriers that also need to be accounted for. Users with mobility impairments, audio impairments and cognitive impairments all have needs that transcend simple “alt text for images”.

If in doubt, developers should not hesitate to pose questions to any number of on-line fora where old dogs like me hang out: http://www.webaim.org has a great mailing list, as does the W3C’s WAI http://w3c.org/wai. The UK’s Guild of Accessible Web Developers (GAWDS – http://www.gawds.org/ ) has an active mailing list as well as other useful resources, and Accessify http://accessify.com/ features a number of useful developer tools and a great forum. Finally, on-line educational resources include both the WaSP Interact http://interact.webstandards.org/ and Opera’s Web Standards Curriculum http://www.opera.com/company/education/curriculum/ providing developers with potential solutions to improve accessibility of their sites.

Thanks Kyle for “shedding some light” on an important topic.

]]>
By: Mia http://cssquirrel.com/blog/2009/08/31/comic-update-squirrel-in-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-26902 Mia Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:34:33 +0000 http://www.cssquirrel.com/?p=420#comment-26902 A friend of mine does a webcomic with pretty good alternative text. (At least, this blind person thinks so.) http://braincomics.net/?comic=197 It appears that the platform she's using even supports the provision of alternative text, since there's a show/hide link for it there. More webcomics need alternative text! A friend of mine does a webcomic with pretty good alternative text. (At least, this blind person thinks so.)
http://braincomics.net/?comic=197

It appears that the platform she’s using even supports the provision of alternative text, since there’s a show/hide link for it there.

More webcomics need alternative text!

]]>
By: Kyle Weems http://cssquirrel.com/blog/2009/08/31/comic-update-squirrel-in-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-26901 Kyle Weems Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:33:57 +0000 http://www.cssquirrel.com/?p=420#comment-26901 @Pat-Trip Thank you for your feedback, it helped push me to get back to this topic. I gather, then, that you've never been able to access the content of any of the comic strips. In your opinion, is some sort of summary that's presented in a format like a movie script a sensible way to make it accessible for blind visitors? @Pat-Trip Thank you for your feedback, it helped push me to get back to this topic.

I gather, then, that you’ve never been able to access the content of any of the comic strips. In your opinion, is some sort of summary that’s presented in a format like a movie script a sensible way to make it accessible for blind visitors?

]]>
By: Pat-Trip Dyspenzer http://cssquirrel.com/blog/2009/08/31/comic-update-squirrel-in-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-26899 Pat-Trip Dyspenzer Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:05:48 +0000 http://www.cssquirrel.com/?p=420#comment-26899 Thanks for getting into this topic. Narrator is an exercise in pain, though. ... Blind people have been searching for good descriptions of comics for a long time. At least this blind ppl haz. ... In closing, YAAY FOR SQUIRRELS! Thanks for getting into this topic. Narrator is an exercise in pain, though. … Blind people have been searching for good descriptions of comics for a long time. At least this blind ppl haz. … In closing, YAAY FOR SQUIRRELS!

]]>
By: Matt May http://cssquirrel.com/blog/2009/08/31/comic-update-squirrel-in-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-26898 Matt May Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:08:11 +0000 http://www.cssquirrel.com/?p=420#comment-26898 Working without the monitor is a worthwhile experiment, though I wouldn't recommend Narrator to my worst enemy. :) If anyone else wants to try it with free software, I would point them to http://www.nvda-project.org/ . Working without the monitor is a worthwhile experiment, though I wouldn’t recommend Narrator to my worst enemy. :) If anyone else wants to try it with free software, I would point them to http://www.nvda-project.org/ .

]]>