Comments on: Accessibility and Usability issues with AJAX http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/ Tips and Commentary on Web Accessibility, Usability, and Search Marketing best practices. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:37:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Joe Dolson http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22525 Joe Dolson Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:36:34 +0000 http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22525 Thanks, Christopher. Personally, I consider it to be a shift beyond accessibility; the alternate version needs to be available just to make the interface seriously <em>usable</em>. Granted, that may be an extreme interpretation... :) Thanks, Christopher.

Personally, I consider it to be a shift beyond accessibility; the alternate version needs to be available just to make the interface seriously usable. Granted, that may be an extreme interpretation… :)

]]> By: Christopher Phillips http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22507 Christopher Phillips Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:26:41 +0000 http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22507 Thank you for a very reasonable overview. I appreciated the examples of how different groups might be affected. It is interesting as Mike notes, how Web 2.0 ajaxian interfaces may actually require a step backward in forcing the addition of an accessible version of a page. Thank you for a very reasonable overview. I appreciated the examples of how different groups might be affected. It is interesting as Mike notes, how Web 2.0 ajaxian interfaces may actually require a step backward in forcing the addition of an accessible version of a page.

]]> By: Joe Dolson http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22475 Joe Dolson Tue, 16 Oct 2007 05:20:39 +0000 http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22475 I like that...it's got a nice ring to it! ;) It's really a pretty straightforward concept...it's just a matter of being alert to the issues associated with accessible interfaces, I think. Education, education, education... I like that…it’s got a nice ring to it! ;)

It’s really a pretty straightforward concept…it’s just a matter of being alert to the issues associated with accessible interfaces, I think. Education, education, education…

]]> By: Mike Cherim http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22473 Mike Cherim Tue, 16 Oct 2007 03:56:51 +0000 http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22473 You pretty much hit the nail on the head when you suggested an alternative or option has be offered (be it a special mode or a different content delivery method). A one-size fits-all solution is next to impossible, and putting all of the functionality (of something like Flickr) and accessibility on one page will likely ruin the site for both. What's need is big "Accessibility Mode" link to a sister interface drawing from the same database, but with a lot less inaccessible functionality. In the words of the WCAG 1: When you can't <a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/#tech-dynamic-source">6.2</a>, then you better <a href="http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/#tech-alt-pages">11.4</a>. ;-) You pretty much hit the nail on the head when you suggested an alternative or option has be offered (be it a special mode or a different content delivery method). A one-size fits-all solution is next to impossible, and putting all of the functionality (of something like Flickr) and accessibility on one page will likely ruin the site for both. What’s need is big “Accessibility Mode” link to a sister interface drawing from the same database, but with a lot less inaccessible functionality.

In the words of the WCAG 1: When you can’t 6.2, then you better 11.4. ;-)

]]> By: Joe Dolson http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22448 Joe Dolson Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:41:38 +0000 http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22448 Honestly, that's just a fundamental principle which I chose to assume. Any Javascript development should be approached in that manner. That doesn't change the fact that the Javascript-based enhancements to the interface should be carefully planned to be as usable and accessible as possible. Simply making it usable when Javascript isn't available is insufficient, since there are many users who will have Javascript available --- but not in a manner which will allow them to use the feature. (I'm adding a note to the top of the article, however, to clarify this.) Honestly, that’s just a fundamental principle which I chose to assume. Any Javascript development should be approached in that manner. That doesn’t change the fact that the Javascript-based enhancements to the interface should be carefully planned to be as usable and accessible as possible. Simply making it usable when Javascript isn’t available is insufficient, since there are many users who will have Javascript available — - but not in a manner which will allow them to use the feature.

(I’m adding a note to the top of the article, however, to clarify this.)

]]> By: marc mcneill http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22447 marc mcneill Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:31:22 +0000 http://www.joedolson.com/articles/2007/10/accessibility-and-usability-issues-with-ajax/#comment-22447 Interesting article, but how about designing without the javascript goodness first, and layering on later as with progressive enhancement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_enhancement Interesting article, but how about designing without the javascript goodness first, and layering on later as with progressive enhancement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_enhancement

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