Will Evans asked: > How does js implementation effect text-2-speech? Is > this really a 508 issue or are we talking about accessibility for > BHOF's that use emacs and opera on Linux and stubbornly "choose" to > turn off javascript?
Here's my take on this, and I'm assuming we're talking about interactions on the Web: It's an excellent question for which there's no easy answer, Will. If you use "event handlers" rather than HTML/XHTML's semantic markup for access to content (text, for example), you'll probably be denying that content to screen readers and others. Javascript does not *necessarily* get in the way, but the way it's used makes all the difference. It was not designed to be accessible by default. It was designed for maximum versatility, and it's a great tool in many ways. But we should always have a very good reason to use it, and we should test each implementation for accessibility before unleashing it on the world. There are tried-and-true methods of implementing js with accessibility in mind, but I don't do much javascript so I don't know the inner workings to tell you what makes the difference. I know that if you block scripts without blocking essential content, you've accomplished something significant to a lot of people. More people than you know. Also, why "stubbornly choose"? If I stubbornly choose to ride the bus to work instead of driving my car, I have that right. It means I can't swing by the store on the way home, so I'm denying myself that little piece of functionality and I'm the only one who sacrifices in so doing. If you're a web designer, I'm letting you come into my house, my computer. Be respectful. And for heaven's sake, wipe your feet! ?:) Jeff _________________________________________________________________ The best games are on Xbox 360. Click here for a special offer on an Xbox 360 Console. http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/wheretobuy/ ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
