Dan,

Thanks for this very interesting example.

It would also be possible to keep all the options while making it shorter
under lynx.  For example,the first page could be just links for

Author
Title
subject
Book number
dewey number
annnotation, notes content
keyword

you click on one, you get to search on that

These pages could still have the limit options, but they could come after
the submit button so you don't have to read thru it.

Yet another way would be to just have the page as it but move the submit
button up before the options that are seldom used.  However, you'd then
have to put a warning that there's more options below so people would know.

This is a very interesting example because the page basically satisfies the
w3c web accessibility guidelines... aside from using bold instead of
emphasis.  To the eye (I'm sighted) it looks at first glance pretty
simple... but that's because as I sighted person I can skip from item to
item, focusing on the bold headings author, title, subject, etc.  If you're
using a screen reader you have to listen to all the stuff I can skip.

It might be quicker to use if you're using a browser than can skip from one
list item to the next... you could theoretically scan it that way.  But
Lynx doesn't do that.  Something like pwwebspeak does I believe by the way.


Len


At 10:19 AM 9/24/99 -0400, Dan Dunfee wrote:
>hello,
>
>when being critical of something i always try to provide a solution.
>before going to it, there are a few observations about the views of
>others.  i have had the experience of thinking about and designing
>interfaces in various computer situations and thus have some perspective
>about what is an effective interface.  working alone is not a measure of
>effectivness, there can be 10 versions all which work but some which are
>much better then others.  the nls interface is not a good interface.  all
>the suggestions many people have made require making changes to adapt to
>it rather then the interface being flexable enough to be adapted to the
>needs of blind folk.  the old interface was simple and effective and
>required no such adaptation.  they could have easily kept that approach
>and hooked it into the faster search engine they now have, while offering
>the new exhaustive item version for those who might need it.  better yet
>would be an approach where individualized versions could be set up once
>and saved as a bookmark.
>
>i have looked at the html coding of both the old and new versions.  there
>is no rocket science here, all are standard form setups.  the latter just
>has an exhaustive list of all possible combinations crambed into one form.
>after some major surjery, i tossed 95 percent of the new form which now
>looks and works like the older version and fits on one screen, rather then
>13. it contains only the search variables i want to use and were available
>on the old version.  i should amend the latter by saying they now have a
>global item which looks at all the information categories, this is useful
>and was not in the old form.  i can now put this file on my system and use
>it in place of the new librarian gone mad version.  after looking at and
>seeing the simple setup, an nls web page person could make several simple
>versions before lunch, and not even break a sweat.  when you design a
>horse by committee without input from horse users, you get a camel.  when
>you design a database interface by committee without real world blind user
>input, you get the nls interface.  if someone might be interested in a
>simpler version, send me an email message.
>
>regards,
>
>dan
>
>
>VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
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>
-------
Leonard R. Kasday, Ph.D.
Institute on Disabilities/UAP, and
Department of Electrical Engineering
Temple University

Ritter Hall Annex, Room 423, Philadelphia, PA 19122
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VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
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 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
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