web sites detecting a screen reader
Luke Robinett
It’s true that there may be multiple ways developers use to hide or show content to screen reader users, but the most widely accepted method is to use media queries in your style sheets. The details of this are well beyond the scope of this discussion but basically you can tell the browser to display things differently based on whether it’s a screen, a printer, a screen reader or some other output device. So theoretically I could write one style sheet for a typical computer display and an entirely different style sheet if the page is being consumed by a screen reader
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On Oct 22, 2020, at 12:42 PM, Gene <gsasner@gmail.com> wrote:
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Gene
Isn't whether NVDA allows a flag to be used a universal setting that occurs on loading the screen-reader? I'm not sure if it can be implemented in one application.
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Gene
-----Original Message-----
From: Luke Robinett Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2020 2:10 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] web sites detecting a screen reader It’s all about personal preference. I don’t use those navigation links either but some might. The best solution is to create different NVDA configuration profiles and then switch between them as needed, based on particular sites. Currently we can only configure profiles to automatically load based on applications, not websites. It would be cool if this automatic functionality could eventually be extended to websites. On Oct 22, 2020, at 11:10 AM, Brian Vogel <britechguy@gmail.com> wrote: Hope, As the old sayings go, "Different strokes for different folks," and, "Each according to his or her own taste." That being said, I agree with Mr. Robinett that anyone needs to think long and hard before setting a flag on your screen reader to ignore accessibility-focused features in websites. It often ends up being a "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" sort of affair. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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Brian Moore
Hi. Generally, those skip links are hidden unless one focuses on them with the tab key. They might be useful to more than just blind people. IN theory, there are keyboard only users who aren't blind. I can't say I have actually ever encountered this mythical creature but skip links would be equally useful to key board only users as they are to screen readers. There are a number of ways of creating content which shows up for screen reader users but which isn't visible on screen. the most common is to use a css class which makes the text 1 pixel in height or positions the text 10 thousand pixels to the left which would be off screen but a screen reader mostly won't care about that and will still speak it.
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There are other ways as well Brian. Contact me on skype: brian.moore follow me on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bmoore123
On 10/22/2020 3:34 PM, Gene wrote:
I had thought that those sorts of things were generally on the page but use black on black contrast so they aren't visible. But are many of these somehow coded so that screen-readers will read content that isn't on screen at all?
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On Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 03:34 PM, Gene wrote:
But are many of these somehow coded so that screen-readers will read content that isn't on screen at all?- Yes. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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Gene
I had thought that those sorts of things were generally on the page but use black on black contrast so they aren't visible. But are many of these somehow coded so that screen-readers will read content that isn't on screen at all?
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Gene
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Vogel Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2020 12:51 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] web sites detecting a screen reader On Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 01:25 PM, Luke Robinett wrote: you know when you hear those options at the top of a page to jump to navigation, jump to main content, etc.? Those options don’t appear for sighted users.- Yup. Those of us (I'm sighted) who've never touched a screen reader never even know they're there. These features are the Mr. Cellophane of web coding for the sighted (and for those who don't get the reference, go to YouTube and look up cellophane and Chicago). There are all sorts of things done to improve accessibility that are intentionally hidden from view because they're useless (and would be darned annoying, actually) unless you happen to be using a screen reader. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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Gene
I don't thinkk that setting affects live regions. But those who have tested more than the very little I have can comment in an informed manner.
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Gene
-----Original Message-----
From: Luke Robinett Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2020 12:21 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] web sites detecting a screen reader Gene, you can tell NVDA not to announce dynamic content. This is probably the setting you had in mind. Perhaps you could create a separate configuration profile with that setting disabled and then switch to it only when you encounter those problematic websites? On Oct 21, 2020, at 3:20 PM, Gene <gsasner@gmail.com> wrote:
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Well as a tester of websites myself, having tested a lot of sites, a lot of things can work out the box but bar banks and the like a lot of stuff can be accessible. They shouldn't annoy. The only time I have actually popped between so called accessible and non accessible sites is when the site in question does not display things in the right mode.
On 23/10/2020 6:55 am, Hope Williamson
wrote:
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Luke Robinett
It’s all about personal preference. I don’t use those navigation links either but some might. The best solution is to create different NVDA configuration profiles and then switch between them as needed, based on particular sites. Currently we can only configure profiles to automatically load based on applications, not websites. It would be cool if this automatic functionality could eventually be extended to websites.
On Oct 22, 2020, at 11:10 AM, Brian Vogel <britechguy@...> wrote:
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Hope,
As the old sayings go, "Different strokes for different folks," and, "Each according to his or her own taste." That being said, I agree with Mr. Robinett that anyone needs to think long and hard before setting a flag on your screen reader to ignore accessibility-focused features in websites. It often ends up being a "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" sort of affair. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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Hope Williamson
Me neither!!! Exactly, I much prefer quick navigation.
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On 10/22/2020 11:02 AM, tim wrote:
Those features given at the top of screen for navigation I never used.
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tim
Those features given at the top of screen for navigation I never used.
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My screen reader offers better and those are just in the way for my style of browsing.
On 10/22/2020 1:25 PM, Luke Robinett wrote:
As a blind person, NVDA user and web developer myself, I don’t recommend telling the screen reader to ignore the SR flag. It sounds like there are a few misguided websites out there who are implementing heavy-handed screen reader experiences on their pages, but you know when you hear those options at the top of a page to jump to navigation, jump to main content, etc.? Those options don’t appear for sighted users. Behind the scenes, we use CSS media queries to expose those options only when a screen reader is detected, and I think we all agree those features are generally helpful. A similar technique is used when a graphical icon is depicted visually but it’s actual purpose ”menu,” ”settings,” ”submit,” etc. is spoken aloud to screen reader users. In short, you might find websites become far less accessible if you tell them to ignore the presence of a screen reader.On Oct 21, 2020, at 6:09 PM, Gene <gsasner@gmail.com> wrote:
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Hope Williamson
I use a screen reader, and I still think they're annoying. Maybe
that's just me, though. They get in the way.
On 10/22/2020 10:51 AM, Brian Vogel
wrote:
On Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 01:25 PM, Luke Robinett wrote:
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On Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 01:25 PM, Luke Robinett wrote:
you know when you hear those options at the top of a page to jump to navigation, jump to main content, etc.? Those options don’t appear for sighted users.- Yup. Those of us (I'm sighted) who've never touched a screen reader never even know they're there. These features are the Mr. Cellophane of web coding for the sighted (and for those who don't get the reference, go to YouTube and look up cellophane and Chicago). There are all sorts of things done to improve accessibility that are intentionally hidden from view because they're useless (and would be darned annoying, actually) unless you happen to be using a screen reader. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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Luke Robinett
As a blind person, NVDA user and web developer myself, I don’t recommend telling the screen reader to ignore the SR flag. It sounds like there are a few misguided websites out there who are implementing heavy-handed screen reader experiences on their pages, but you know when you hear those options at the top of a page to jump to navigation, jump to main content, etc.? Those options don’t appear for sighted users. Behind the scenes, we use CSS media queries to expose those options only when a screen reader is detected, and I think we all agree those features are generally helpful. A similar technique is used when a graphical icon is depicted visually but it’s actual purpose ”menu,” ”settings,” ”submit,” etc. is spoken aloud to screen reader users. In short, you might find websites become far less accessible if you tell them to ignore the presence of a screen reader.
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On Oct 21, 2020, at 6:09 PM, Gene <gsasner@gmail.com> wrote:
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Luke Robinett
Gene, you can tell NVDA not to announce dynamic content. This is probably the setting you had in mind. Perhaps you could create a separate configuration profile with that setting disabled and then switch to it only when you encounter those problematic websites?
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On Oct 21, 2020, at 3:20 PM, Gene <gsasner@gmail.com> wrote:
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Gene
Perhaps. I can't think of more than perhaps three or four settings but having something discussing them might be helpful.
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Gene
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Vogel Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2020 8:07 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] web sites detecting a screen reader On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 06:20 PM, Gene wrote: I was asking in case others knew the answers.- I guess my central point, whether it's you asking or someone else, is that there is likely a small number of settings like this that will be asked about again and again. Having a piece of user-maintained documentation for same can prove really helpful. I'm not trying to put this in anyone's lap specifically, but tossing the idea out there. I am maintaining something analogous in a completely different sphere, and not software related. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 06:20 PM, Gene wrote:
I was asking in case others knew the answers.- I guess my central point, whether it's you asking or someone else, is that there is likely a small number of settings like this that will be asked about again and again. Having a piece of user-maintained documentation for same can prove really helpful. I'm not trying to put this in anyone's lap specifically, but tossing the idea out there. I am maintaining something analogous in a completely different sphere, and not software related. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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Gene
I was asking in case others knew the answers. I searched the relevant settings areas and found nothing, the relevant areas being Document Formatting and Browse Mode Settings. I haven't chedcked Github. Perhaps I should have, I just thought these might be annoyances that might not bother others enough that an issue was filed, but someone may have done so.
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Gene
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Vogel Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2020 4:52 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] web sites detecting a screen reader On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 03:11 PM, Gene wrote: Is the figure setting not being controlable an oversight and are there plans to have the user be able to turn off live region speech?- Gene, I cannot answer this, other than to say if you don't have a GitHub Account for accessing the NVAccess/NVDA issues system you should consider getting one. This would be an issue, as far as I'm concerned, if there is no clear way to control it documented. One of the big things lacking, as far as I'm concerned, in NVDA is the ability to search settings for a given word or phrase. Any software as complex as NVDA is going to have a number of settings that it's virtually impossible for any single person to remember in their entirety, or even where they are in the hierarchy. Given how software of this complexity is developed, and grows over time, certain settings may be in what seem to be very odd locations because where they now would seem to be logically placed did not even exist when they came into being. Settings searches have really become a necessity. If you were able to search settings on the word "figure" that should answer your current question, but you can't. But this is not an issue, per se, but a feature request/suggestion if we're talking a general purpose settings search. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 03:11 PM, Gene wrote:
Is the figure setting not being controlable an oversight and are there plans to have the user be able to turn off live region speech?- Gene, I cannot answer this, other than to say if you don't have a GitHub Account for accessing the NVAccess/NVDA issues system you should consider getting one. This would be an issue, as far as I'm concerned, if there is no clear way to control it documented. One of the big things lacking, as far as I'm concerned, in NVDA is the ability to search settings for a given word or phrase. Any software as complex as NVDA is going to have a number of settings that it's virtually impossible for any single person to remember in their entirety, or even where they are in the hierarchy. Given how software of this complexity is developed, and grows over time, certain settings may be in what seem to be very odd locations because where they now would seem to be logically placed did not even exist when they came into being. Settings searches have really become a necessity. If you were able to search settings on the word "figure" that should answer your current question, but you can't. But this is not an issue, per se, but a feature request/suggestion if we're talking a general purpose settings search. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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Gene
I'm not sure there are more than perhaps two or three such settings but my question is why they are set as they are or are not user controlable? Is the figure setting not being controlable an oversight and are there plans to have the user be able to turn off live region speech?
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Gene
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Vogel Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2020 1:55 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] web sites detecting a screen reader Gene, et. al., Has anyone ever thought about creating a document of, if not frequently used, at least reasonably frequently requested settings tweaks to turn certain behaviors/announcements off and on? As time goes by, there are times where new features come into play where the default doesn't suit, and there are plenty of instances where existing ones don't, either. But, lets face it, some settings in the vastness of all available settings in NVDA are unlikely to ever be touched by most users. Having this in some downloadable form, subject to updating "as needed" by its maintainer, is very handy indeed, and addresses a need. In this case, I am not volunteering to be the maintainer, at least not initially, simply because I am far less likely to ever know which of these settings is found annoying by someone or a number of someones who actually are daily-driver users of a screen reader, NVDA, in this case. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041 It’s hard waking up and realizing it’s not always black and white. ~ Kelley Boorn
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