Access Keys for Accessibility Purposes – Part 2

Jermaine Gonzalez  – Raleigh, NC
123Triad: Web Design & SEO Company

Access Keys for Accessibility Purposes – Part 2

In this article I continue to discuss why I think that access lists are mostly useless.

In many browsers it is badly implemented.

Adding on the problem is the fact that many browsers poorly implement access keys.

For access list to be remotely useful they should be viewable easily.

Unless access lists are using the Opera web browser, I do not think there is an easy way of getting a list of access key which are available on a particular web page. They must search for a page on the website which describes the list.

(If one uses Opera, he should use SHIFT+ESC to help him bring up the list of access keys on a web page which supports them. What I am saying is, hold down SHIFT and then press the ESC key.)

The use of access keys in a particular browser will require more dexterity as compared to normal typing.

In many browsers, for one to use the access keys, he needs to hold down either the ALT key -Internet Explorer, the CTRL key-Safari or hold down both the SHIFT and ALT- Firefox keys simultaneously, while still pressing the access key itself. In Internet Explorer (“IE”), one will need to hit also the ENTER key after this. Given that access keys are usually meant for use by people who have limited mobility, to me it seems that using the access keys may cause more accessibility problems as compared to avoiding them.

(Even in Opera, historically which is the most accessible and keyboard-friendly than all browsers, it is only in version 9.50 that  access keys can be simply used by typing the access key letter or even the number itself. Earlier versions were quite cumbersome.)

If from reading my description, one feels that the above keystrokes are not a big deal, one is thinking as an able-bodied person. He should do this (just to simulate a worst-case scenario): should tie both his arms behind his back, put a stylus in his mouth, and use the same stylus to type things on his keyboard by nodding his head over the characters which are correct on the keyboard. Even when one enables the “sticky keys” feature in his operating systems, he should ask himself if he dares to call such a cumbersome operation an “accessibility feature”.

To put it otherwise, for people who have problems with mobility and use the popular browsers, access keys are not only useless, they are also a hindrance.

They do conflict with Browser Commands which are in-built.

Access keys can be either numeric or alphabet letters. Take an example, in earlier versions of some sites, some people mapped “h” to be the access key for the Home page, “m” for  “Site Map”, “s” for  search box, and so on.

However, in practice, due to the way web browsers implement access keys, the only access keys one can use for his website are the numbers. Let us take Internet Explorer 6 for Windows for example. If one mapped “h” for his Home page, and “f” for his Feedback form, what may happen when someone else types Alt+H or Alt+F in order to invoke the access keys? In example one, the Help menu will definitely open. In example two, the “File” menu will pop up. Therefore, this is the shortcut to ones home page or feedback form. Since menus vary from one browser to another, and add-ons, plugins, and extensions used by ones visitors may add to the menus available, if one really wants to help those who may need accessibility aids, one cannot use any of the alphabet letters.

In other words, one only has the 9 digits for use. And this is assuming someone does not create a browser menu which is activated by an Alt+number.

Access list Conflicts with the Software of the Screen Reader.

Although access keys also help blind users as well, mostly, they are useless to them.

Most of the commercial screen reader soft wares basically take over the keyboard and then redefine most useful keys to other purpose. This redefinition usually conflicts with access keys which are supported by the browser.

In this case, however, one does not need to get up in arms over this issue. If one has tried any commercial screen reader, he will probably have noticed that they have some useful keyboard shortcuts which make surfing using a screen reader much easier. Their keyboard shortcuts provide much better functionality than any one can create with the brain-dead access key facility, therefore, the fact that they nullify ones access keys is not going to be a loss to ones users.

123Triad webdesign offers affordable custom website design. Our full service website design company only hires certified website designers. Please contact us today on 1-800-720-0816 for your next web site design project.

Related posts:

1. Access Keys for Accessibility Purposes – part 1 Alwin Wright   – Phoenix, AZ...
2. Eyesight Accessibility Joanna Cox    – NYC, NY...
3. How to Design Websites for Universal Access Lorenzo Hayes    – Phoenix, AZ...
4. Web Accessibility Tiffany Ogren – Raleigh, NC...
5. 10 Keys To Great Web Design Jermaine Gonzalez  – Raleigh, NC...
6. Three Formatting Keys for the Web Designer Jermaine Gonzalez  – Raleigh, NC...
7. Web Usability and Accessibility Paul Morgan       – NYC, NY...
8. Practical Tips for Web Accessibility By – Rupesh Narvekar 123Triad ...
9. Eight Tips For Effective Web Page Design Paul Morgan       – NYC, NY...
10. Website Accessible To Your Eyesight Adam Anderson    – Phoenix, AZ...