Re: [Audacity-manual] Another front page option

[Bill W. <bi...@go...>]

David et al:
Having duplicate content on the main page probably wouldn't fly.

As David points out, the problem with the current image map for VI users is the 79-plus links. For sighted users we want to identify every single widget, but for VI users it is overload.

David mentions the structured nature of the current page. Would a special front page for VI users be useful? I'd see it as having a minimum of links to wade through, those links leading to secondary pages again with the minimum of links. So, for example, there would be one link to a menus index page that then contains links to all the menus This already exists, but the current front page lists not only the link to the menus index page but also to every individual menu. This would require the creation of new "landing pages" for "Understanding Audacity" and "Help with Advanced Topics". The main page would have a banner saying something like "Users of screen readers may prefer our simplified main page".

I think this gives us the best of both worlds, at the expense of maintaining the simplified front page. In the end I think it would likely be a boon to users of screen readers.

-- Bill

On 23/05/2012, at 9:18 AM, Bill Wharrie wrote:

> David B got back to me about the usability of the imagemap for VI users. It is not good. This may be a deal breaker.
> 
> -- Bill
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
>> From: David Bailes <drb...@go...>
>> Subject: Re: Audacity Manual - proposed new front page
>> Date: May 23, 2012 7:21:43 AM EDT
>> To: Bill Wharrie <bi...@go...>
>> Cc: Gale Andrews <ga...@au...>
>> 
>> On Sun, May 20, 2012 at 9:02 PM, Bill Wharrie <bi...@go...> wrote:
>>> David:
>>> Bill Wharrie here.
>>> 
>>> I'm working up an alternative front page layout for the manual here:
>>> 
>>> http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/User:Billw58/Front_Page_V1
>>> 
>>> and I need your input.
>>> 
>>> The new page uses an imagemap of the main project window with links and hover text for all the window elements.
>>> 
>>> I have no idea how screen readers will cope with this, or if what they produce will make sense. Is it better or worse than the current manual front page at:
>>> 
>>> http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Main_Page ?
>> 
>> Hi Bill,
>> unfortunately it's worse than the current manual front page.
>> The new page is technically accessible, but also unusable. There's a
>> series of 79 links - a screen reader user has to wade through these to
>> find what they want. In the current page, the links are structured
>> using headings.
>> In html, it's possible to include headings in amongst the area
>> elements (the headings could be off screen), but I had a quick play
>> with imagemap in mediawiki, and it doesn't play ball.
>> One solution might be to have both the image map, and a structured
>> collection of links using headings and lists.
>> There are also alternative ways of doing the image map thing, but I've
>> no idea hoe easy it would be to include them in a mediawiki,
>> 
>> David.
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Live Security Virtual Conference
> Exclusive live event will cover all the ways today's security and 
> threat landscape has changed and how IT managers can respond. Discussions 
> will include endpoint security, mobile security and the latest in malware 
> threats. http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfrnl04242012/114/50122263/
> _______________________________________________
> Audacity-manual mailing list
> Aud...@li...
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/audacity-manual