Posts
Google Plus Keyboard Accessibility
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Social media in general has major accessibility problems. Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook all certainly need improvement.
Google's latest attempt at social media, Google Plus, launched a short time ago. This time, Google says they "considered accessibility of Google+ from day 1". Although it's a much better attempt at accessibility than the ill-fated Google Wave, Google Plus still has a lot of room for improvement.
I've only come across one Google+ accessibility review, Will Blind Users Be +1ing?, by a visually impaired user. So I decided to do some more testing myself. Once I got started, it quickly became apparent that only keyboard access checks were needed to determine how much more work needs to be done, as there were many, unfortunately.
Below are some of the web accessibility issues I found on Google Plus, all keyboard access issues.
Home/stream page
- Tab into "Share" flyout but could get out without mouse. Strange since you can use Escape key to close the Notifications and Options flyouts.
- In right column under "Suggestions", can tab to "Add to circles" button but can't activate it. Also, unable to tab to "Show all" link.
- Under stream in left column, the circles links do not have visual focus state.
On a profile page
- Unable to open Circles options.
- Can open "Send an email" dialog, but upon closing, focus is lost and returned to top of page.
- The text and image links in left column have no visual focus indicator, (how frustrating!): People in common, In [username] circles, Have [username] in circles.
- On posts, no visual focus on "limited" link.
- On posts, options are not keyboard accessible.
Photos page
- After selecting a page number or prev/next, focus is lost and returned to top of page.
- Image hover event not available with focus.
- Can open image view, but upon closing, focus is lost and returned to top of page.
- After opening image view, no visual focus on almost everything, I'm lost.
- After opening image view, unable to select arrows to go to prev/next image.
Circles page
I give up. None of the main content on this page is keyboard accessible. No wonder why screen reader users can't add people to circle; requires mouse-only drag-and-drop. I guess Google missed Opera's article on accessible drag-and-drop using ARIA.
Global
- No visual focus on footer links: Terms - Content Policy - Privacy
Summary
Google+ is more accessible than most Google apps, especially for a new one. But that's not saying much; there are still many issues to resolve. And again, the list of problems on this post are only a subset of issues. It's sad the such a huge, powerful, rich technology company can't get the basics of web accessibility, even when they planned it from the start.
PS: When setting up Google voice and video chat, I quickly came across two "click here" links, yuck!
Labels: analysis, google, socialmedia
Web Accessibility-Related Jobs!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Here's a great list of recent job listings (all but one in the U.S.) relating to web accessibility.
- Interactive PDF (Accessibility) Specialist needed in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- User Interface Accessibilty Analyst, global entertainment & eCommerce company, Los Angeles, California.
- Accessibility Specialist at Kforce Technology Staffing in Wilmington, Delaware.
- User Experience Specialist Librarian at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Web IT Consultant/Expert at California State University - Fullerton. Includes assistive technology support.
- Accessibility & Usability Consultant at AbilityNet in London, UK.
- Web Accessibility Engineer for W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative at MIT in Cambridge, Mass.
- Added: AFB Consulting seeks cross-disability consultants (LinkedIn)
Labels: job
Fixing Alt - MacGuyver Coffeemaker
Thursday, July 14, 2011
No coffeemaker and need coffee?! So you search the web and find an article about brewing coffee MacGuyver-style, but can't access the large image which contains the vital points. Lifehacker's article Brew an Emergency Cup of Coffee with Two Paper Cups and a Filter is practical and fun, but the image containing the crucial steps is missing alternative text. So to save my fellow coffee fans in a time of crisis, here's the alt text:
- Acquire 2 paper cups, 1 filter, boiling water, a cutting instrument.
- Cut one cup towards the top so that it creates a ring at least 2 inches tall. Place the filter over the other uncut cup.
- Slide ring down over the filter, which is sitting on the uncut cup. Push down until small amount of filter is visible on all sides.
- Place desired/available coffee grounds in the cup over filter.
- Begin slowly filling open portion with near boiling water. Do not over fill and occasionally stir.
- Brewing may take anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes including set up and brew. However, it's a hell of a lot better than having no coffee at all.
Labels: "fixing alt", alt, fun
Now on Facebook
Friday, July 08, 2011
Web Axe is now on Facebook! If you're on Facebook, please give me a "like"! I plan to post the best of the best there fairly regularly, but not too often (maybe every other day). I may even do a poll or two.Yea, I know it's somewhat ironic, maybe even a bit hypocritical, that I'm on Facebook since it has major web accessibility issues (with no captioning support, just one of many Facebook issues). But nonetheless, I'm there. All things considered, it's the biggest social network in the world; it'd be silly not to take advantage of that in spreading the word about web accessibility.
Labels: administrative, facebook
Podcast #91: Game Plan, CSS, Lawsuits & Events
Monday, July 04, 2011
Dennis and Ross discuss the "Accessibility Game Plan", a couple good CSS tips, upcoming events, and a few lawsuits, and more!
Download Web Axe Episode 91 (Game Plan, CSS, Lawsuits & Events)
What's New
- Ross' book update
- Accessible Twitter is now Easy Chirp!
The Game Plan
- Barriers to Improving the Accessibility Game Plan
- Accessibility: Let's put away the wrecking ball!
- Takeaways:
- It about semantics (pun): universal design, inclusive design
- Educate others in a web camp, Refresh chapter, UPA.
- Share your and others' solutions.
- Practice what you preach.
- Advocate accessibility groups, websites, etc.
Careful with CSS
- Testing the accessibility of the CSS-generated content (with before/after pseudo selectors)
- CSS Background Images and Accessibility
Lawsuits
- Berkeley-based nonprofit sues CNN.com for not captioning online videos and CNN Being Sued For Lack Of Closed-Captioning Online
- National Association of the Deaf Files Disability Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Netflix and Netflix sued by deaf group over lack of subtitles
- Court to Hear Argument in JetBlue Accessibility Case. "JetBlue has asked Judge to throw the case out of court, arguing that California's disability civil rights laws do not apply to JetBlue's website or kiosks."
- Just announced: Blind Students Sue Florida State University for Discrimination
Conferences & Events
- AccessU keynote by Dennis
- Accessibility at Google IO 2011
- Events July thru Dec 2011 & IT Accessibility Goes To Camp
Jobs
- Scotiabank seeks a Project Leader Accessibility and Inclusion (contract), Toronto, Canada
- Mozilla seeks an Accessibility Engineer
- New Editions Consulting (for DHS?) seeks a Senior Accessibility Analyst in Washington, DC. Ability to successfully complete a secret clearance is required.
- Just announced: Web Accessibility Engineer at MIT
