RE: [WSG] Accessible, complex forms

[Greg]

Thanks Steve, and all, for the many helpful replies.

A better example of the form I am working with is here:
http://catscape.com/forms/alert.html

Very madlib style, but hopefully we can convince the client that it is not in their best interest to ignore screen readers. We did make a bit of progress though, with invisible labels. I found that this method works well - can't remember exactly where I found it, but it's on the internets:

.noScreen {
position:absolute;
left:0px;
top:-500px;
width:1px;
height:1px;
overflow:hidden;
}




----------------
Wolkins Photography
Catscape Tees

On Mon May 14 23:05 , 'Steve Green' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> sent:

This kind of design always causes problems during user testing because a screen reader user does not know what comes after form controls when they occur in the middle of a line. In fact they don't even know it's in the middle of a line.

You are asking them to read the whole sentence then go back to the middle to enter data in the form. Screen reader users' ability to deal with unusual constructions like this depends on their experience to a far greater extent than fully able users. We find that they may be able to hear all the content but just can't understand what they are supposed to do with it. If this form control is on its own then they will probably cope but if there are lots more like it then it becomes increasingly likely they won't. Blind people don't always 'visualise' things the way you might expect, particularly if they have been blind from birth.

Invisible labels are fine, but if you really want it to be more accessible, put the form controls at the end of the sentences.

Steve

www.testpartners.co.uk

www.accessibility.co.uk

---

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Greg
Sent: 14 May 2007 21:23
To: wsg@webstandardsgroup.org
Subject: [WSG] Accessible, complex forms

 

I have a dilemma that I hope someone can advise me on. A client wants a fairly complex form that will have input fields in the middle of a line of text (think "adlibs"), and then a select box at the end of the line. For example:

[th] Alert ... [th] Status or delivery choice
[td] Balance is within $_____ of my credit limit .... [td] select box [email/sms/both]

I hope that example made sense. The problem we are facing is with screen readers, and our approach so far has been to create invisible labels with css.

Is there a more accessible way to make this type of form more accessible?

Thanks in advance,

Greg

----------------
http://www.wolkinsphotography.com
http://www.catscape.com

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