Day 26: Use JavaScript Appropriately (and For Good)

Published on 26 Dec 2018

• journal
• was
• javascript

Study hiatus on Christmas Day. I was just having too much fun being with my family. Back at it today, despite the sudden onset of a head cold. Time spent studying: 1 hour.

• Read pages 3 and 4 of WebAIM's Accessible JavaScript.
• Watched Accessible Forms and JavaScript (YouTube) by Nomensa.
• Read half of Chapter 10 of Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance.

• Using languages appropriately is not only good practice, but also good accessibility. CSS was meant for visual design, and using it to make content dynamic can break accessibility. The same goes for JavaScript when used beyond what it was intended for. JavaScript is great for updating content, but server-side scripting should be used to help increase accessibility, security, and progressive enhancement, especially when it comes to implementing forms.
• Discovered Nomensa has a YouTube channel with some very helpful videos about web accessibility. It's only within the past month that I've learned about Nomensa.
• Automatically submitting a form 'onchange' is stripping control from the user. Giving a user control of form submission is helpful to users with assistive technology, and anyone who may get confused about the sudden information update on the page.

The following ideas were not new to me, yet I appreciated the reminders, especially in context of web accessibility (not just usability):

• JavaScript should be an enhancement, therefore, enhancing the experience and not being obtrusive to every user.
• This quote really speaks to me, not just about JavaScript, but about accessibility in general. That's why WCAG principles, guidelines, and success criteria were set in place. So that all designers, developer, etc. can understand the why and how of accessibility. "You can paint a picture with a paint-by-numbers kit, but you will have trouble explaining how the harmonies of the picture were achieved and if there is a special meaning in the use of a certain color." - Christian Heilmann
• I should pin this up in my cubicle: "The browser, its settings, and its functionality belong to the visitor, and are not yours to dictate or remove." - Christian Heilmann
• Essential markup should not rely on JavaScript. This feels like a hard lesson in 2018 with all our fancy web apps. Going back to my first bullet point, I can be reminded that using each language for what it was intended to do can help overcome this challenge. Ask yourself, "Does this script help visitors to reach a goal faster or overcome a problem, or is it just there because it is flashy or trendy?"
• Take caution when you've about to break convention. You may be breaking a solid user experience, too.