This page is provided for persons using assistive technology.
On this page:
Note: Suggested screen reader settings for JAWS and Window-Eyes follow each description.
Note: The - (hyphen) used in the instructions below signifies to press the keys simultaneously.
Sakai contains a number of accessiblity issues yet to be resolved:
Please notify the Sakai Accessibility Team Lead at elledge@msu.edu if you find other problems. Use the subject line "Sakai Accessibility Issues".
Also, note that it is highly recommended to use JAWS version 8.0 and Window-Eyes version 5.5 or later, as performance will be significantly better.
Download the JAWS upgrade at:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_downloads/jaws.asp
Check for Window-Eyes upgrades at:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/Upgrades/
Here are some tips for navigating:
You can execute most of the recommended settings in Internet Explorer through the Insert-v command, followed by the relevant letter for MSAA commands (such as h for headings), and then using the up arrow or down arrow.
To access HTML settings within JAWS itself (for example, to change default settings for JAWS), follow the steps below:
To access HTML settings within Window-Eyes:
Use headings to navigate. Links to worksites, tools, and content appear as headings to facilitate navigation. Content within tools is also structured hierarchically using <h1>, <h2>, and <h3> tags.
JAWS and Window-Eyes enable headings announced with level by default.
Because frame titles are frequently repeated, it is recommended that you do not have them announced by screen readers unnecessarily. The default setting for JAWS is not to say frame names.
If you wish to set JAWS to "Say Frame Name at Beginning and End" anyway:
Window-Eyes enables frame names by default.
Accesskeys follow the UK e-commerce standards wherever possible, and are mnemonic otherwise. On a PC, use Alt to invoke accesskeys; on a Macintosh, use Ctrl. Accesskeys are announced in the title tag for each link.
Accesskeys are available for most form-based tools.
Users control page refreshes. To refresh page content, press F5.
To set JAWS to turn off page refresh:
To set Window-Eyes, press Alt-Shift-m until you hear "suspend all".
Title tags help comprehension of action buttons and links by providing additional information.
To set JAWS to "Use Title":
Window-Eyes enables title tags by default.
Forms contain common accessibility elements, including fieldset, legend, label for, and id tags.
The first column of the table below contains page elements, the second column provides suggested screen reader settings, and the third column contains shortcut keys in Internet Explorer to create settings.
JAWS and Window-Eyes Settings by Element| Element | Suggested screen reader setting | Shortcut keys in Internet Explorer |
| Headings | Headings with level | Press Insert-v . Press h and then e to execute. |
| Titles | Read title tag | Press Insert-v . Press l l l and then e to execute. |
| Frames | Announcement off | Default. Press Insert-v . Press f and then e to execute. |
| Tables (JAWS) | Recognize data tables only | Press Alt-u for Utilities, and then press c for Configuration Manager. Select Alt-s for Set Options, and then press h for HTML Options. Press Ctrl-Tab to go to Lists and Tables, and then press Alt-y for Detect Table Type. |
| Tables (Window-Eyes) | Recognize data tables only | Press Insert-v to to go to Verbosity Settings. Press t . Press Tab to go to the radio button. Use the up arrow or down arrow until "insert beginning/end message" is selected. Note that this is enabled by default. |
| Refresh | Suppress refreshes | Press Insert-v . Press r r , and then e to execute. |
The continuing objective of developers is to make the application compliant with Section 508 and WCAG 1.0 Priorities One and Two, and as usable as possible for persons using adaptive technology. Most tools follow W3C accessibility guidelines for headings, forms, tables, links, and images, but do not include non-script alternatives to JavaScript, or user messages for pop-ups or completed actions. Tools following most guidelines include:
JSF (Java Server Faces) tools have not been revised to include all accessibility elements. These include the following:
Sakai has been tested with JAWS version 8.0 and Window-Eyes version 5.5. Compliance has been evaluated using A-Prompt, WebXACT, and W3C Validator, but is not guaranteed.
If you find any problems with Sakai/CTools compatibility, please contact the Accessibility mail group at accessibility@collab.sakaiproject.org