The HTML Challenge

As computer technology advances, it presents screen readers with new challenges to provide you with the information you need. Freedom Scientific has risen to the challenge of providing you with access to the World Wide Web. This site describes the challenge and shows how JAWS^® 5.0, when used with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6.0, gives you access to the many features of Web pages. The pages of the HTML Challenge are designed for use in Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6.0, and may not display properly in other Web browsers.

Web pages are written in a language called HTML. HTML is made up of elements that structure information using headings, paragraphs, frames, and tables. HTML elements also include images and audio on Web pages, link pages to each other, and create controls in forms. HTML elements often include attributes that provide information about the data on the page, such as descriptions of images or names of controls. Attributes can change the appearance of text or images. They can also change the way a control behaves, such as causing a link to open in a new window. For more information about HTML, refer to the Introduction to HTML.

Features of HTML allow screen readers to provide detailed information about Web pages. This site will show you how JAWS can use these features to help you access information easily and interact with Web pages.

Navigation: The HTML Navigation Challenge demonstrates features of JAWS that allow you to move around quickly on a page. Use these commands to navigate other pages on this site.

Structure and Format: The HTML Structure and Format Challenge provides information about HTML elements that are used to structure and format information on a page and helps you evaluate how your screen reader responds to these elements.

PlaceMarkers: The HTML PlaceMarkers Challenge shows you how easy it is to mark locations on Web pages, so you can quickly return to important locations on the Web sites you visit frequently.

Personalized Settings: The HTML Personalized Settings Challenge shows you how to adjust Web settings for specific Web sites, personalizing Web sites for your own needs and preferences.

Information and Help: The HTML Information and Help Challenge shows you how to access helpful information so you can take full advantage of the Web.

Links: The HTML Links Challenge demonstrates the use of different types of links and helps you determine what kind of information your screen reader provides about them.

Languages: The HTML Languages Challenge demonstrates automatic switching between languages specified on Web pages, showing how easy it is to read multi-lingual Web sites.

Images: The HTML Images Challenge helps you to learn how images are used on Web pages and what information your screen reader provides about them.

Lists: The HTML Lists Challenge demonstrates different types of lists and provides questions to help you evaluate how much information your screen reader provides about them.

Forms: The HTML Forms Challenge allows you to learn how your screen reader responds to forms with various features.

Tables: The HTML Tables Challenge helps you to learn about and evaluate the information your screen reader provides about tables so that you can take full advantage of the information tables provide about relationships between data.

Frames: The HTML Frames Challenge demonstrates the use of frames to provide structure on a page.

Dynamic HTML: The Dynamic HTML Challenge demonstrates the use of onClick attributes and allows you to evaluate how your screen reader responds to them.