[bcab] Re: Dialog boxes

Clive,
 
    Without looking at an actual example, the most likely cause is that form
labels haven't been provided correctly. Within HTML, there is a method of
associating a form label with the corresponding form field. It is this
association that a screen reader will look for.
 
    Screen readers have become more sophisticated at dealing with forms that
don't provide proper labelling. If no formal association is detected, most
screen readers will read the text immediately to the left or right,
depending on the form field type. It's a bit hit and miss though, because
the text to the left or right of the form field may be no practical use at
all.
 
    In the situation you describe, it sounds as though a label has been
provided, but that it hasn't been correctly associated with the form field.
This is why you can read it when you're not in forms mode, but don't get it
read when you're in forms mode and moving between form fields. Form
labelling can be quite an art, particularly when you're dealing with radio
buttons and checkboxes, but that's it in a nutshell.
 
Regards,
Léonie. 
 
 

  _____  

From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Clive Lever
Sent: 28 January 2008 08:41
To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bcab] Dialog boxes


Hi all,
 
please can someone explain why, in some of those dialog boxes where, as Jack
Dee puts it, your computer turns into Chris Tarrant (Are you sure you want
to...), in normal mode, Jaws only gives you the yes and no buttons but not
the question, so that you have to switch to Jaws cursor to find out what the
actual question is?  This doesn't happen with all such dialog boxes, so what
makes the difference?
 
Thanks,
Clive

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