Re: CSS and screen readers

I am using the most used screen reader and it reads the page as it appear in
the HTML file.
Why not using tables?
They mean a lot of accessibility for the disabled.

If using tables they can find the name of the current column or row title,
the number of the current row or column, and the navigation in a table is
very easy.

The screen readers don't check the style sheets if they are for oral
presentation or other media types.
They are a kind of browser that needs to understand the structure of an HTML
file, but ... for the moment not a very good browser.

Teddy,
Teddy's Center: http://teddy.fcc.ro/
Email: orasnita(at)home.ro

----- Original Message -----
From: "envoy" <envoy(at)dircon.co.uk>
To: <aware-techniques(at)hwg.org>
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 9:52 PM
Subject: CSS and screen readers


Hello

I am striving to create more accessible websites. So I am going to stop
using tables for layout. I have created a three column layout using CSS for
positioning, the columns at the sides containing images. Without the style
sheet the content is logically organised, with the images and layout
separated from the content.

When I have viewed this using "Supernova Reader Magnifier - Award-winning
magnification, speech & Braille for Windows" (which I have been told is
used by a lot of libraries) the voice reader reads across the whole page as
it appears on the screen, so the alt tags for the images get mixed up with
reading out the text in the main column. Which doesn't seem much of an
advance on using tables?

Is there someway that I can get the voice reader to read the content
without the style-sheet? Should I be using an aural style sheet?

I would be very grateful for any comments, and or suggestions about where I
could find out more about this issue.

Many thanks
Madeleine

Madeleine Parkyn
envoy(at)dircon.co.uk
01723 375533
www.envoy.uk.net

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