[wp-hackers] Accessibility of WP back end (was: Is WP back end supposed to work without JavaScript?)

[Lynne Pope]

2009/5/4 Stephen Rider <wp-hackers at striderweb.com>

> FYI --
>
> I don't know how accurate it is, but there is a Firefox plugin called
> "Fangs" that is designed to take a page and turn it into text approximating
> what a user of JAWS hears.


Fangs is useful as a very basic, unsophisticated reading tool but does not
emulate JAWS or EYES. It is however useful for getting an idea of how a page
reads. Fire Vox is another Firefox addon - this does a better job but,
again, does not emulate JAWS. Both Fangs and Fire Vox are useful aids to
theme designers and site owners who do not have much experience with
accessibility but who want to get an indication as to how accessible their
sites may be.

Its also worth noting that even though you can download a trial of JAWS this
is not likely to help determine the level of accessibility. JAWS (and EYES)
are really complicated to use and, JAWS especially, takes a lot of time and
training to learn. Then to add to the mix, the results from testing with
JAWS are further influenced by which browser is being used to access the
web, and the level of experience the user has with both JAWS and the
browser.
Add to this the fact that people use different versions of assistive devices
and different versions of browsers, and the whole testing thing becomes very
complex.

However, this is why W3C has its web accessibility initiative (WAI) and if
WordPress can meet ATAG in the administration area, and WCAG 2 requirements
in the frontend, it will achieve a high level of accessibility (and beat
competing blogging platforms hands down).

Lynne