Challenges with dialogs on the web
Bhavya shah
I use NVDA on Chrome. Lately, I’ve encountered plenty of dialogs on the web, e.g., the dialog to include a note with a connection request on LinkedIn.
Sometimes, I can press Enter or Space to get inside the dialog, other times I have to Tab into it. Sometimes I can get out of a dialog through a X button or Close button, sometimes by pressing the Escape key, and very often I have to press NVDA+Ctrl+Space. When a dialog appears, NVDA rarely announces it and I have to just try pressing o and Shift+o on a hunch. Even then, many dialogs don’t have a label; I have to go inside it to figure out if it’s substantive or about cookies.
The short of it is that I’m struggling to work effectively with dialogs on the web: discovering, entering, and interacting with them. What have your experiences been with dialogs on the web? What strategies have you found helpful?
Grateful for your inputs,
Bhavya Shah
M.S. AI & B.S. Math/CS, Stanford University
Mister Kayne
Hi Bhavya,
If you are looking to address the specific challenges you're facing with LinkedIn, I would highly recommend writing directly to their Disability Helpdesk rather than this group. Feedback sent there is actually taken seriously and often addressed in their upcoming releases; Microsoft products generally have a very strong track record with accessibility.
You can find their resources here (ensure you are signed in to your account to proceed with the feedback): LinkedIn Accessibility
Regarding your experience with dialog boxes on the web, I find them quite manageable in Browse Mode. Using NVDA on Chrome, I don't really use any "tricks" or special interventions; I generally stick to tabbing, using Browse Mode, and the typical navigation and interaction keys to move through them. It usually handles the focus and interaction predictably enough for me.
Warm regards,
Mister Kayne
Author: The Somebody, Nobody, Anybody & Everybody Blog!
Mail: writ...@mister-kayne.com
Sent from Outlook® for Windows 11
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