Is Jump Menu Accessible?

[HelenDev]

Is a jump menu like the one I found here [webmasterworld.com...] accessible?

In other words would it cause problems for users of assistive technology or cause problems when attempting to achieve a 'Bobby' rating or WAI level?

[RonPK]

You mean the select box in msg # 8? No. That is, it is not accessible for any user agent that cannot handle javascript. It would be if there were a submit button, which can easily be added in a <noscript>noscript-section</noscript>. And the submitted form has to be handled by a script on the server.

[HelenDev]

Thanks for the reply Ron.

When you say that the button can be added in a <noscript>noscript-section</noscript>, can you give more details about this. Does this mean that I can have my jump menu for people with js, and a submit button will show for those who don't?

Also, I'm trying to understand how the menu might work with a submit button - the page would then go to a script which contained a redirect to the desired page, depending on which option the user chose? FYI I will probably be doing any required scripting in asp.

[RonPK]

A basic example:

<form action="action.asp"> 
<select name="mylist" onchange="location=this.value; return false"> 
<option value="page1.html">page 1</option> 
<option value="page2.html">page 2</option> 
</select> 
<noscript><input type="submit" value="go"></noscript> 
</form> 

> the page would then go to a script which contained a redirect to the desired page, depending on which option the user chose?

Yep. The value of the selected option is sent to the server. In this example 'mylist=page2.html' would be sent to action.asp (if 'page 2' is the selected option).

I'm no good at ASP. In PHP the redirect command would be something like
header("Location: $_GET['mylist']");

sorry for my late reply; it was time for the annual battery recharge aka holiday