Wikipedia

[chordatesrock]

I've only been using the keyboard since my mouse broke, so maybe this is perfectly accessible and I just haven't figured it out yet.

However, I think it might be impossible to rate an article on Wikipedia using the keyboard. The ratings don't seem to be anywhere in the tab order and I've been through it three times. Is this my fail, or Wikipedia's?

Comments

[codeman38]

No, it's not just you.

I even tried accessing it via VoiceOver on my Mac, to see if maybe it was one of those cases where they added accessibility for screen readers but not sighted keyboard users... and it doesn't report that the star-rating widgets are even there.

Edited to add: I've reported this on Wikipedia's accessibility talk page.

[chordatesrock]

Wikipedia should fix that. I usually expect better of them.

[badgerbag]

Just so you know, these look like the closest related bugs:
https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=33081
and here,
https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=29704

I didn't look further but you might want to report this separately or add a comment to one of the above open issues.

That should be much more effective than reporting this issue on a talk page. I would love to help with this -- email me if you want to follow up ! (chordatesrock or codeman38 or both)

[qem_chibati]

Are you using a windows computer?

You can set the numberpad on the keyboard, to act as a mouse - http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000542.htm

(It's not perfect but it might be a short term work around for you.)

[codeman38]

Also possible on Mac - hit the Option key five times.

[qem_chibati]

(ahahaha, as someone that regularly has to replace the mouse batteries for macs on occasion this is sure to be of use to me, so thanks <3 )

[chordatesrock]

Thank you. :)

[treeowl]

Do Wikipedia article ratings actually do anything?

[chordatesrock]

I don't know.

[weofodthignen]

I don't think they do, actually, but I believe they are flash generated. I will do some poking to see whether I can locate the Wikimedia project that's inserting them (there's an alternate format being tested on random articles, "Did you find what you were looking for?" and there's the feedback widget, too).

M

[treeowl]

Obviously whatever they have should be accessible, but I'm thinking maybe experimental pilot projects of little immediate consequence can get a break.

Edit: on the other hand, if they are Flash, that's just silly.

[weofodthignen]

I had to go to work last night, but I confirmed that this is a Wikimedia Foundation thing. I see that there's now been a response to that effect and that the Foundation basically doesn't program for accessibility! Yeesh. In case these are of any use, here's a central page on Article Feedback; here's the talkpage for the ratings tool the OP wants to respond to, with no sign as yet that they are still looking there; and here's the talkpage for Version 5, the "Did you find what you wanted to" thing, which seems to be getting eyes.

[weofodthignen]

People woke up/came home from work, and there is now a whole conversation with a Wikimedia person in response to the original post at Talk:Wikiproject accessibility, plus someone has started a Request for Comment on including equal access in the Five Pillars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Five_pillars#Accessibility_and_equality . :-D

[chordatesrock]

Tell me people did not just respond that they can't make access a priority because that would mean Wikipedia would need to add other basic accessibility features, which would be too much work.

And, please, tell me someone did not just say that barrier removal shouldn't be a priority because not every barrier is under their control. The fact that some people don't have access to the internet does not excuse creating content that is invisible to blind users who do have the proper technology.

[pauamma]

I wish I could tell you that without lying. But I can, however, tell you (truthfully) I answered the "editors don't have the time" argument, stating "editor availability isn't an issue, since most of the changes needed are code-level."

[jadelennox]

I don't know why I went to read that thread. It has made me more happy than anything else in years that I have given up editing Wikipedia.

[badgerbag]

Try reporting this as a bug. Then it will at least get a response from the people who can fix it (rather than random editors who like to argue)

http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Bugzilla

[badgerbag]

It looks like this is going to be fixed in the future release,

https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=33081

So that's good, I hope!