It might seem redundant and sometimes unnecessary to use the Alt down arrow and Alt up arrow key combinations.
First, a combo box is an HTML form element. You must press the Enter key to enter forms mode before you can interact with that element. It sounds like that this can be accomplished automatically in JAWS 10. But we don't have that quite yet. The point is you have to be in forms mode to select an entry in a combo box. Once you have navigated to an HTML form element and entered forms mode, it is possible to simply use the down and up arrows to select an entry. This will work most of the time, unless the combo box activates dynamic updates of the page. In fact, for blind users, actually having the combo box drop down the complete list is not very useful and is not evident. The use of the Alt down arrow and Alt up arrow key operations are only necessary to mimic the operation performed by a sighted user with a mouse. This is required in some cases to properly fill out the form and use the site. Don Marang ----- Original Message ----- From: "rcham27" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2008 5:15 PM Subject: Re: [JAWS-Users] Reading links with S, vs down arrow > Thanks for this description! > What is the difference with hitting enter and using the alt. down arrow? > It sounds like you have to do both. > Is the alt. down/up arrow like a switch? and one does not have to use this > combination when navigating the particular list? > Is a combo box only present for using forms? > > > Thanks again. > > Rich > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Donald Marang" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2008 5:20 PM > Subject: Re: [JAWS-Users] Reading links with S, vs down arrow > > >>A combo box to a sighted user appears as a drop down list that all of the >> entries appear when they click on the box. they then move the mouse to >> the >> entry they want and click again. The box then collapses and the selected >> entry is shown. >> >> In JAWS, first you need to press Enter in the combo box to enter forms >> mode. >> Then press Alt down arrow to have the entire list open or "drop down". >> Use >> the down and up arrows to select the entry you want. Then press Alt up >> arrow to close the combo box. >> >> Sometimes, a page is designed to change immediately based on their >> selection >> as soon as the value is selected. This is a problem for JAWS users in >> that >> if you just arrow down through the selection, the page will update >> immediately on a selection that is probably not desired. To prevent >> this, >> you absolutely need to use Alt down arrow to open the list and Alt up >> arrow >> to close the combo box. The page will update at this point on these >> dynamic >> pages. >> >> Don Marang >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "rcham27" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2008 3:52 PM >> Subject: [JAWS-Users] Reading links with S, vs down arrow >> >> >>>I have 9.0 and XP home. >>> I noticed when reading the list of links on a web page, that when using >>> the >>> letter S, to move down the links, that JAWS misses some of the links. >>> If I use the down arrow, I get all of the links. >>> >>> Is this right? >>> Also, I was listening to the audio tutorial mentioned a few weeks ago >>> regarding the internet and there was mention of using the alt down arrow >>> when in a combo box. >>> Could someone explain this more? >>> >>> Thank you. >>> >>> Rich >>> >>> >>> Visit the JAWS Users List home page at: >>> http://www.jaws-users.com >>> Visit the Blind Computing home page at: >>> http://www.blind-computing.com >>> Address for the list archives: >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >>> To post to this group, send email to >>> [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> For help from Mailman with your account Put the word help in the subject >>> or body of a blank message to: >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> Use the following form in order to contact the management team >>> http://www.jaws-users.com/managers.php >>> If you wish to join the Blind Computing list send a blank email to the >>> following address: >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >> >> >> Visit the JAWS Users List home page at: >> http://www.jaws-users.com >> Visit the Blind Computing home page at: >> http://www.blind-computing.com >> Address for the list archives: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> To post to this group, send email to >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> For help from Mailman with your account Put the word help in the subject >> or body of a blank message to: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Use the following form in order to contact the management team >> http://www.jaws-users.com/managers.php >> If you wish to join the Blind Computing list send a blank email to the >> following address: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > > Visit the JAWS Users List home page at: > http://www.jaws-users.com > Visit the Blind Computing home page at: > http://www.blind-computing.com > Address for the list archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > To post to this group, send email to > [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For help from Mailman with your account Put the word help in the subject > or body of a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Use the following form in order to contact the management team > http://www.jaws-users.com/managers.php > If you wish to join the Blind Computing list send a blank email to the > following address: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Visit the JAWS Users List home page at: http://www.jaws-users.com Visit the Blind Computing home page at: http://www.blind-computing.com Address for the list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help from Mailman with your account Put the word help in the subject or body of a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Use the following form in order to contact the management team http://www.jaws-users.com/managers.php If you wish to join the Blind Computing list send a blank email to the following address: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
