Comments on: Improving Accessibility Through Focus Management http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/ The official blog of the YUI Project. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:46:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Tracy - Property Management http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-594141 Tracy - Property Management Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:06:07 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-594141 I must admit that I have been quite lax in making sure my sites are accessablet to keyboard only users. I should probably do something about this. I must admit that I have been quite lax in making sure my sites are accessablet to keyboard only users. I should probably do something about this.

]]> By: Geek is a Lift-Style. » Developing Sites With AJAX: Design Challenges and Common Issues http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-592297 Geek is a Lift-Style. » Developing Sites With AJAX: Design Challenges and Common Issues Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:07:38 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-592297 [...] by using JavaScript tricks, you can make any element keyboard accessible. And if you build widgets, go even further by following the rules of keyboard navigation. You could [...] [...] by using JavaScript tricks, you can make any element keyboard accessible. And if you build widgets, go even further by following the rules of keyboard navigation. You could [...]

]]> By: Developing Sites With AJAX: Design Challenges and Common Issues | BestWebMagazine http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-588336 Developing Sites With AJAX: Design Challenges and Common Issues | BestWebMagazine Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:48:02 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-588336 [...] by using JavaScript tricks, you can make any element keyboard accessible. And if you build widgets, go even further by following the rules of keyboard navigation. You could [...] [...] by using JavaScript tricks, you can make any element keyboard accessible. And if you build widgets, go even further by following the rules of keyboard navigation. You could [...]

]]> By: Developing Sites With AJAX: Design Challenges and Common Issues | XtremelySocial.com http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-588191 Developing Sites With AJAX: Design Challenges and Common Issues | XtremelySocial.com Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:49:10 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-588191 [...] by using JavaScript tricks, you can make any element keyboard accessible. And if you build widgets, go even further by following the rules of keyboard navigation. You could [...] [...] by using JavaScript tricks, you can make any element keyboard accessible. And if you build widgets, go even further by following the rules of keyboard navigation. You could [...]

]]> By: Some links for light reading (24/2/09) « Max Design http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-587921 Some links for light reading (24/2/09) « Max Design Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:18:43 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-587921 [...] Improving Accessibility Through Focus Management [...] [...] Improving Accessibility Through Focus Management [...]

]]> By: Find The Right JavaScript Solution With A 7-Step Test « Designers' Digest http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-587900 Find The Right JavaScript Solution With A 7-Step Test « Designers' Digest Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:32:18 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-587900 [...] some great examples of how widgets should react to keyboard use, and Todd Kloots of Yahoo does a great job of explaining the techniques behind good keyboard usability (also as a video and using YUI3 and focusing on WAI-ARIA). Patrick Lauke of Opera also wrote a [...] [...] some great examples of how widgets should react to keyboard use, and Todd Kloots of Yahoo does a great job of explaining the techniques behind good keyboard usability (also as a video and using YUI3 and focusing on WAI-ARIA). Patrick Lauke of Opera also wrote a [...]

]]> By: Victor Tsaran http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-583367 Victor Tsaran Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:36:16 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-583367 @Todd: actually, the behavior you are describing comes from NVDA, http://www.nvda-project.org, and not JAWS, http://www.freedomscientific.com, screen reader. At least I do not remember seeing JAWS toggle virtual buffer off when an ARIA-enabled widget receives focus. NVDA, however, does so for sure. @David: the only way to force a screen reader to toggle virtual buffer is to place your widget inside a role of application. This is what we have done inside the "search assist" widget of the Yahoo! Search, http://www.ysearch.com. @Todd: actually, the behavior you are describing comes from NVDA, http://www.nvda-project.org, and not JAWS, http://www.freedomscientific.com, screen reader. At least I do not remember seeing JAWS toggle virtual buffer off when an ARIA-enabled widget receives focus. NVDA, however, does so for sure.

@David: the only way to force a screen reader to toggle virtual buffer is to place your widget inside a role of application. This is what we have done inside the “search assist” widget of the Yahoo! Search, http://www.ysearch.com.

]]> By: Todd Kloots http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-583364 Todd Kloots Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:20:08 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-583364 Hi John - You are correct by default the virtual buffer is enabled in JAWS, meaning that the arrow keys are intercepted by the screen reader. This is the case for all screen readers. However, in the more recent versions of ARIA-enabled screen readers, the screen reader will automatically toggle the virtual buffer off by default when focus is given to an element with an ARIA role applied. And the last time I checked this was the behavior for JAWS 10 as well. If you are finding that not to be the case, perhaps you have your installation of JAWS configured differently. - Todd Hi John -

You are correct by default the virtual buffer is enabled in JAWS, meaning that the arrow keys are intercepted by the screen reader. This is the case for all screen readers. However, in the more recent versions of ARIA-enabled screen readers, the screen reader will automatically toggle the virtual buffer off by default when focus is given to an element with an ARIA role applied. And the last time I checked this was the behavior for JAWS 10 as well. If you are finding that not to be the case, perhaps you have your installation of JAWS configured differently.

- Todd

]]> By: John Snyders http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-583283 John Snyders Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:05:18 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-583283 This article was very helpful. I have one point of general confusion. Clearly being keyboard accessible is good for both non mouse users and sight impaired users. The examples often point to having a one tab stop widget and then using arrow keys. However my testing so far with JAWS 10 shows that the browser never receives the arrow keys because JAWS treats them as special reading keys. So now my widget is no longer keyboard accessible. Anyone have thoughts on this catch-22? This article was very helpful. I have one point of general confusion. Clearly being keyboard accessible is good for both non mouse users and sight impaired users. The examples often point to having a one tab stop widget and then using arrow keys. However my testing so far with JAWS 10 shows that the browser never receives the arrow keys because JAWS treats them as special reading keys. So now my widget is no longer keyboard accessible.
Anyone have thoughts on this catch-22?

]]> By: David Bolter http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/comment-page-1/#comment-582406 David Bolter Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:56:01 +0000 http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/02/23/managing-focus/#comment-582406 Yep, I strongly recommend roaming tabindex too. Nice post. Yep, I strongly recommend roaming tabindex too. Nice post.

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