TW Blog :: Entries for Accessibility

There is absolutely nothing that is seen by two minds simultaneously Bertrand Russell

Extending Firefox Search Plugins

What makes Firefox so great is the unlimited scope for customisation. Take the Firefox search plugin - a great utility for stockpiling search engines from MyCroft. But it doesn't have to just be a search tool, for plugin files can easily be composed to extend the functionality to your requirements. As an example, placing the following snippet in a src file in the searchplugins directory below Firefox's installation route will give quick access to Jens Meiert's User Interface Test Resources.


<search
    name="UI Tests"
    description="UI Accessibility and Validity Site Tests"
    action="http://uitest.com/en/check/results/"
    method="GET">
<input name="url" user>
</search>

Now a domain can be entered in the search box to generate UITR's comprehensive set of links to the major validation sites. If the site to be tested is already being viewed a Conquery could be used instead to avoid entering the URL string:


<search
  name="UI Tests"
  description="UI Accessibility and Validity Site Tests"
  action="http://uitest.com/en/check/results/"
  method="GET">
<input name="url" value="[:url]" label="Enter URL">
</search>

This should be placed in a cqr file in the searchplugins directory.

Posted on Nov 13, 2004 at 14:54:54. [Comments for Extending Firefox Search Plugins- 0]

Device-Independent Tool Tips

Also relates to CSS Design and DOM Scripting

I have updated the Accessible DHTML Tool Tips experiment to handle both mouse events and keyboard events. It is not perfect, but the use of unobtrusive Javascript and device-independent event handling is a step in the right direction.

Posted on Nov 05, 2004 at 22:19:54. [Comments for Device-Independent Tool Tips- 0]

Web Based Applications

Also relates to PHP and DOM Scripting

Over on WASP Chris Kaminski talks about the future of the web as a platform for developing and deploying applications. In the wake of Javascript's XmlHttpRequest this has become a very popular topic for discussion. The ability to call data from the server via client-side scripting without the need to reload the whole page is an exciting prospect and already some excellent utilities are emerging. Bitflux led the way with Live Search which is under further development over at Colly Logic. Meanwhile, Harry Fuecks, in follow up to his Crouching Javascript, Hidden PHP series, has established the SourceForge project ScriptServer - a complete set of tools for connecting PHP and Javascript together. Although proprietary in detail, Jonathan Zufi applies the M$ implementation of XmlHttpRequest to form validation with VBScript and ASP. On a much grander scale, Gmail and A9 both offer fine examples of web based applications powered by considerable Javascript.

Personally, I am excited by the new opportunities provided by a web based platform and it is nice to see client side scripting appearing in the spotlight again. The communication between client-side and server-side scripts is providing plenty of potential for increased usability and enhanced UI. However, there is one critical concern with any application that puts major emphasis on client side scripting - accessibility. Fortunately A9 still functions with scripts disabled, however GMail currently displays that gratuitous javascript is required message! Done right the enhancements provided by XmlHttpRequest and other DHTML tools can improve the usability of an application without reducing its accessibility. But a dependance on scripting could see a drastic demise to former times and a blank screen served upto 20% of the web!

Posted on Oct 03, 2004 at 01:48:18. [Comments for Web Based Applications- 0]

Accessibility Assessment Report

This post does not relate to any other topics

In light of the DRC Report back in April, further alarming reading comes from Comparative Assessment of Web Accessibility and Technical Standards Conformance in Four EU States:

It is not just that Web technology is not being applied positively to improve opportunities and capabilities for users with disabilities. On the contrary, as Web services become more pervasive and essential, it means that those with disabilities in our society will increasingly suffer further disadvantages in accessing information and online services. Carmen Marincu and Barry McMullin

A sample of 4877 websites from Ireland, United Kingdom, France and Germany, selected from the Open Directory, were tested with Bobby:

94.0 percent of the Irish sites, 94.5 percent of the U.K. sites, 95.6 percent of the German sites and 98.6 percent of the French sites failed Bobby at the minimal accessibility level (WCAG-A)
99 percent of U.K. sites and 100 percent of the Irish, French and German sites failed Bobby at the professional accessibility level (WCAG-AA)
All (100 percent) of the sites failed Bobby at the maximum accessibility level (WCAG-AAA)

Posted on Aug 03, 2004 at 20:17:35. [Comments for Accessibility Assessment Report- 0]