Dreamweaver - accessability question

Author

accessability question

DPSwebmaster

2004-08-31, 7:15 pm

I am working on adding an access key to my links. My question is (1) how should
I determine what the access key should be and (2) how does the end user know
what access key to use to get to a link?

TIA

Bruce G.

Al Sparber- PVII

2004-08-31, 7:15 pm

There are mixed opinions on their use - even whether to use them at all.
By far and away, this is the best article I have read on the subject -
bar none:

http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/forms/accesskey.html

--
Al Sparber - PVII
http://www.projectseven.com Temp: http://65.110.72.165/
DW Extensions - Menu Systems - Tutorials - CSS FastPacks

"DPSwebmaster" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:ch24vj$fed$1@forums.macromedia.com...
>I am working on adding an access key to my links. My question is (1)
>how should
> I determine what the access key should be and (2) how does the end
> user know
> what access key to use to get to a link?
>
> TIA
>
> Bruce G.
>

darrel

2004-08-31, 7:15 pm

> I am working on adding an access key to my links. My question is (1) how
should
> I determine what the access key should be and (2) how does the end user
know
> what access key to use to get to a link?

Access keys aren't necessarily a good thing. The biggest drawback is that
they can (not always, though) hinder keyboard shorcuts already in use by the
person. In fact, I recall a study that mapped all the keyboard shortcuts in
the major screen reader applications and there were only 2 or so remaining
keys left for use as access keys.

Of course, Access keys can be useful for non-vision impaired folks as well
(namely PDA and cell phone users).

Bottom line, some accessibility folks praise access keys, while others
suggest you don't use them at all.

As for displaying them, here's an option:

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/accesskeys/
(Be sure to read all the comments as well...LOTS of good info)

It relies on CSS to style the first letter of the item you want to use as an
access key. The drawback, though, is that it requires CSS. Which is
pointless to anyone using a text browser or a screen reader. An alternative
is to put an accessibility page on your site with a key/guide to the main
access keys that you are using.

At this point, I'm leaning towards NOT using access keys for our new site. I
still need to do more reading though before I come to a final conclusion.

-Darrel

Michael Fesser

2004-08-31, 11:15 pm

.oO(darrel)

>Access keys aren't necessarily a good thing. The biggest drawback is that
>they can (not always, though) hinder keyboard shorcuts already in use by the
>person.

ACK

The only useful implementation so far has the Opera browser, where
access keys don't collide with the built-in hotkeys. Most other browsers
use alt+hotkey to activate them.

Micha