Understanding Accessibility

Guideline 10. Use interim solutions.

Checkpoint 10.4 - Until user agents handle empty controls correctly, include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas

Include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas, otherwise some screen readers may not 'see' it.

How do I do it?

Simply have at least one option 'selected' for each form element.

<p>Please select age <select name="age" size="1">
<option value="0-10">0-10</option>
<option value="11-20">11-20</option>
<option value="21-30" selected="selected" >21-30</option>
<option value="31-40">31-40</option>
<option value="41-50">41-50</option>
<option value="51-60">51-60</option>
<option value="60">60+</option>
</select></p>

more information on how to set different elements to be selected on page load is available at http://www.ilikecake.net/html/html_10_forms.htm.

Check boxes and radio buttons should have at least one selected option (this can be 'none'). Text boxes and text areas should have content like 'insert search here'. Menus and lists should have a pre-selected option. This again can be 'none' or an instruction - 'select age range'.

How do I check that it meets the WCAG criteria?

Webxact will check this automatically.

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