Blind Moderator = impossible

[cowudders]

Hi,

I have a blind user of my forum who I have made a moderator. However, she is unable to do anything as the little tick boxes in the posts are all images, so she cannot tell if the boxes are checked or not.

IMHO the images serve no real purpose, and it would actually be clearer to sighted users too. A simple HTML based check box, something like:

<form method="post" action="post.asp">

<input type="checkbox" name="Check Box" value="moo">Moo<br>

would be all that is required. This would make it very clear which topics were selected, and would be compatible with computer speech sythesis software, thus enabling blind users to be moderators too.

This is very annoying, and she feels alienated by this. This should be a really simple piece of code to fix.

[Invisionary]

Bravo! Disabled users deserve the same access as the more fortunate among us - even with my (not quite 20:20) eyesight I struggle at times.

I would back any campaign to make IPB more disabled-user-friendly :)

[Alex Duggan]

Moving to feature suggestions forum!

[tomek__w]

Hear Hear!!

[Guest]

Matt must hear this!!

[Wolfie]

This sounds like a skinning matter. Probably would require some code tweaking (so perhaps included for v3.0?), but the skin would be a major part of the change. This would be nice, even for those who can see but maybe prefer assistance.

+1 on this one. (This would be something to give it an edge on other forums too)

[Wilko]

Hi,

I have a blind user of my forum who I have made a moderator. However, she is unable to do anything as the little tick boxes in the posts are all images, so she cannot tell if the boxes are checked or not.

IMHO the images serve no real purpose, and it would actually be clearer to sighted users too. A simple HTML based check box, something like:

would be all that is required. This would make it very clear which topics were selected, and would be compatible with computer speech sythesis software, thus enabling blind users to be moderators too.

This is very annoying, and she feels alienated by this. This should be a really simple piece of code to fix.

Not that this shouldn't be fixed by IPS. But it shouldn't be too hard to do yourself.

[Reado]

Yeah, can't you just change the tickbox to <input type="checkbox"> or something along those lines? Or... when a post is ticked, make it highlighted - but I'm guessing this would need extra code? Or even a mod?

[cojo]

Admins shouldn't have to make modifications to make their forums accessible. The software should be written to account for older folks and those with disabilities. It shoud also account for those who choose to turn off javascript in their browser.

[Quillz]

What would the new method do, though? How would it help a blind user, for example? Does it make a sound when ticked?

[Michael P]

Blind users have readers, so Id assume the reader could say checked, or something like that as opposed to image or nothing.

[Wolfie]

Seriously, a skin would be a step in the right direction. After all, the skin can include code to perform functions on ticking/unticking.

[cowudders]

Blind users have readers, so Id assume the reader could say checked, or something like that as opposed to image or nothing.

Yep, the speech software reads the bit of text before it, then says "check box not checked" or "check box checked".

Here's a link to the software she uses, just for interest:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_produc...ftware_jaws.asp

She gets along fine with most things, but the reader just says "*" for where the images are, so she has no way of telling if the item is selected or not. I will probably experiment with the alt text or the title text, if I can find the right bit in the code...

[cowudders]

Thinking about the skin - it should be fixable through that, but I really agree with what cojo said: "Admins shouldn't have to make modifications to make their forums accessible."

That's far too true. We pay IPB to do stuff like that for us - to come up with a good, accessible product.

[Wolfie]

My point is that someone could make a skin that is aimed for those who are blind (either legally or literally). Perhaps make it watered down on the features(format not availability) and some things be slightly bigger to be easier to find. Those little boxes I bet would be a nightmare.

[elj]

Sounds like it's needed.

[Shadowsoft]

Sounds good, perhaps two default skins could be included, one accessibility skin with minor modifications to aid people who are hard of sight. Either that, or provide a control panel/instructions for making the modifications yourself.

[cooldude7273]

Why not go into the Macros and insert alt text?
Or text period?

[cowudders]

Why not go into the Macros and insert alt text?

Or text period?

As an interim measure, yep, that's what I plan to do. Just one question: How do you edit the macros? :)
I'm hapopy editing the skins - or do you mean the variables in the various bits of the skins?

No response from IPB themselves yet... :(

[Wolfie]

Skin Manager -> click on skin to edit -> go to macros

[Chris Griego]

Why not go into the Macros and insert alt text?

Or text period?

Because those images are not in the macros, they're using an img element in the HTML templates and the javascript only switches out the src attribute.

[Wilko]

Admins shouldn't have to make modifications to make their forums accessible. The software should be written to account for older folks and those with disabilities. It shoud also account for those who choose to turn off javascript in their browser.

I don't dispute this, but in the mean time it is fairly simple for him to make the changes himself.