Category Archives: Browsers
Relative pixels
Layout methods in web design have gone through a transition in the last few years, unfortunately we're still using floats a lot, but flexible layouts have made a comeback in the form of responsive design - which is great. Recently though, I have been puzzled by people suggesting that we should use EMs for layout...
Zooming bug in Webkit
I've noticed a bug in Webkit browsers that impacts accessibility: Zooming in does not trigger media queries. Responsive design techniques can really help people who zoom in with their browser, but not in Chrome or Safari at the moment. The “Open Web Stack” - Snappy acronym needed
Chris Mills at the Web Standards project posted up an open letter to the W3C about the new "HTML5 logo", which I commented on, but it seems comments are off. So here's what I wrote... Are browser-updates a thing of the past?
I noticed something in the browser stats before I noticed it on my laptop - Google's Chrome doesn't ask you about updates. I knew, almost subconsciously, that there was a Google updater programme running. However, I didn't realise the impact it could have on web development, and potentially users as well. Font-based layouts becoming fashionable?
Layouts are becoming an issue again. The (browser) landscape is changing, as are the fashion in layouts, but not really in unison. I can understand giving a greater weight towards design aspects, and maintaining the grid, however, I find the timing curious, as these changes seem likely to be obsolete soon.
CMS editable Flash
With all the fuss over AJAX and Flash accessibility you get, I thought it might be worth outlining the process we used to create a Flash/AJAX widget and highlight one of the advantages you get with this method. It also means that the use of Flash has no impact on your Search Engine Optimisation. Tabindex for keyboard accessibility
Steve Falkner did a good presentation to the WSG last week, outlining how and why AJAX can work with screen readers. One tiny little point I wanted to pick up on was whether it was a waste of time to update AJAX content if you've attached an event to an element that isn't a link or form control.
Closing the gap - User Agent improvements
Following up on the responsibilities in accessibility, some of the most critical gaps at the moment are on the User Agent (UA) end. This post highlights the things I think would make the most difference to people's experience of accessibility on the web. Responsibilities in accessibility
The W3C has defined what to do for accessibility at each 'end' (i.e. client side or web site site), but there is quite a lot of overlap, and scant advice on who should be responsible for what. I'm going to try and show who's responsible now, and where things should go.