dbx manual

4. Accessibility notes

Docking boxes can provide equal functionality to both mouse and keyboard users, so the accessibility limitations usually associated with drag 'n' drop controls don't apply. However the dynamic interface is not supported in browser-based screenreaders, such as JAWS or Home Page Reader:

Many javascript events occur in browser-based readers exactly as they would for vanilla installs of the host browser (usually Internet Explorer). But having content which is switchable to non-displayed could be a major cause of confusion, in the absence of a reliable way to notify a non-graphical UA of the change explicitly.

To try to avoid these problems, the script uses event-disparity evaluations which attempt to prevent browser-based screenreaders from running the show/hide or repositiong routines at all; for these users the layout should remain static, and accessible as though there were no dynamic behaviors, just as it is for legacy or text-only browsers.

This then means that CSS properties used to hide the inner content area - things like display:none which would normally be a total no-go - should not be a problem here, since readers should never activate nor cause to be activated the mechanisms which apply those rules.

So, in these and other environments where the script is not supported, you'll get a default HTML and CSS layout with no dynamic behaviors. This isn't necessarily an issue for things like navigation or news boxes, where the scripting is supplementary to the core functionality. But its use as an application interface should be restricted to situations where browser and scripting support is predictable, or where equivalent server-side functionality is also provided.

Implementing the script | API events

dbx manual

Categories...

Website gadgets

Bits of site functionality:

Usability widgets

Local network apps

Web-applications for your home or office network:

Game and novelties

Our internal search engine is currently offline, undergoing some configuration changes in preparation for a major site overhaul. In the meantime, you can still search this site using Google Custom Search.


In this area

Main areas


[brothercake] a round peg in a square hole, that still fits