iOS Accessibility traitsApple has made accessibility part of the iOS app SDK. With integrated screen magnification and the VoiceOver screen reader available on all recent iOS devices, it’s an ideal platform for great accessibility.
How do you detect a screen reader?The short answer is that you can’t. At the time of writing there isn’t a way to reliably detect whether someone visiting your site is using a screen reader (or screen magnifier). You might have heard that Flash will do the trick, but that might not be quite the solution you’re expecting.
Accessible Tabs – Part 2: The SolutionAs we saw in Accessible Tabs Part 1 – The Problem, there are several accessibility issues with tabs created for the web compared to those created for use in software applications. Tabs on the web should ideally replicate the functionality used in applications, so they are more intuitive for everyone. In this article we will look at three existing scripts for creating accessible tabs.
Accessible Tabs – Part 1: The ProblemTabs are a well recognised feature of many of today’s websites. Websites such as the BBC, Yahoo and the National Autistic Society all use tabs to utilise the space on their pages by showing more content in a smaller area. The use of tabs on the web is still a relatively new feature which has only really become popular in the last few years. This surge in popularity is mainly due to the introduction of JavaScript libraries such as jQuery which make it extremely easy to add tabs to a website.
Every little helps?If you shop at Tesco, you’ll know that “every little helps”. If you’re one of their blind or partially sighted online customers though, you might be forgiven for thinking otherwise. As Tesco close their access site and move people over to their new primary website, there are growing concerns about how accessibility has been factored [...]
Screen reading ApplesScreen readers are an invaluable tool for those whose vision is not sufficient to use a monitor. There is a reasonable selection of screen reading tools for the PC; however, the options on the Apple Mac have historically been restricted.
What is a Screen Reader?A screen reader is a software application that enables people with severe visual impairments to use a computer.
Screen readers work closely with the computer’s Operating System (OS) to provide information about icons, menus, dialogue boxes, files and folders.
A screen reader provides access to the entire OS that it works with, including many common applications.
