1 Reply by jwalton

(93 replies, posted in PunBB 1.2 discussion)

I don't think I ever tried that one. Before i got JAWS, I used the WeMedia Talking Browser (which was free). But when I tried to hit the site a few minutes ago, I couldn't connect. I also noticed that cnet no longer had a download of the talking browser.... so I don't know whats up with that.

I have used a few different screenreaders, and they all intepret pages a little differently (what else is new). Mostly, it was small stuff like I beleive JAWS says "image" before reading the alt text for an image whereas the talking browser did not. Many small differences, but few serious ones if I remember correctly.

I know that JAWS is the most widespread, but I'm sure that testing in the IBM one is well worth it.

BTW, JAWS does have a free demo.... the site says the demo lasts for 40 minutes(!), but I remember being able to use the demo past that limit, so maybe give it a try http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_dow … s_form.asp

EDIT: oh yeah, I'm more than willing to help out with a JAWS test.

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2 Reply by jwalton

(93 replies, posted in PunBB 1.2 discussion)

Paul wrote:

jwalton: I have rather been assuming that the disabled users you have in mind had impaired vision but of course that might not be the case. Are there any tips you can give me generally. Even if it requires a special release to be truly accessible I would still aim at the orginal being as accessible as possible.

Yes - specifically, I am concerned with low-vision and blind users... but something that is interperable and accessible should help out anybody requiring assistive technology or other needs in that area.

As for tips, well I don't claim to be an expert on the subject. But I have had to design and develop for visually impaired users. The obvious stuff, I'm sure you know about - standards-based markup and all that. I found Bobby to be very helpful (If you don't know, its an accessibility validator), and of course the Web Accessibility Initiative. Of course since we are even having this conversation, I assume you know about all that stuff wink

The most helpful things to us were meeting with a blind user, and observing how he used the web, getting our own copy of JAWS (screen reader), and testing our site on a small group of blind and visually impaired users...

Which reminds me: I can do JAWS testing if you don't have a copy...

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3 Reply by jwalton

(93 replies, posted in PunBB 1.2 discussion)

Hello from a punBB user, but first-time-poster on this site...

Rickard wrote:

This script (viewtopic.php) I'm not so sure about.

It really seems to me that viewtopic.php is a "correctly used" table. It looks like a table, smells like a table.... just because the message "td" has lots of content in it doesn't make it less of a table, right?

Paul wrote:

Where things begin to get really freaky is when it comes to forms. You could argue for example that the user options input form is a table whereas the search form is not.

Why bother over thinking it? It's possible to reach for every higher levels of abstraction on this type of thing. And anything that isn't immediately obvious could probably be debated forever. Header and footer boxes should not be tables... but anything that has colums and rows cantaining data basically fits the bill. I looked up "table" in the dictionary:

An orderly arrangement of data, especially one in which the data are arranged in columns and rows in an essentially rectangular form.

The real point is you shouldn't use a table to make a crazy jigsaw-puzzle of images work as a layout.... thats hardly what we're looking at here.

Paul wrote:

A very rough and ready test for proper use of a table. If it requires column headers to be intelligible then its a table, if it doesn't, it's not.

Viewtopic has column headers ("Author", "Message"). The designer made a style decision to not separate the columns with a rule, but stil...

and yeah. Where did Louis go? This was just getting good.

Oh yeah.. the real reason I found this thread is that I need forum accessible to disabled users... punBB would be great since its so simple (feature-wise). Maybe I'll have to do it myself. Fortunately, i don't need it to look identical to the current design wink

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