Screen-readers don't have JavaScript capability
Not true: many screen-readers function on top of Internet Explorer
Progressive enhancement works for JavaScript on and JavaScript off. But what about the middle ground?
This isn't just an Ajax issue: it doesn't matter whether the generated content is coming from the server or not.
The question is: do screen-readers "see" this content?
The answer is: it depends. How is the screen-reader configured? What is the generated content?
I'm forced to conclude that, unless a way can be found to notify screen readers of updated content, Ajax techniques cannot be considered accessible, and should not be used on a production site without a truly equivalent non-script alternative being offered to users up-front.
What we can say, then, is that this Ajax application is usable by screen-reader users some of the time. They aren't totally shut out, but it isn't totally easy for them, either.
element.tabindex = -1;
element.focus();You could provide a checkbox (hidden from visual browsers) that, when checked, will trigger an alert dialogue when a portion of the page is updated.
Example: Contact details (JS) (index.php)
A Roadmap for Accessible Rich Internet Applications
<span id="slider" class="myslider myselector2"
role="wairole:slider"
waistate:valuemin="0"
waistate:valuemax="50"
waistate:valuenow="33">
</span>What about the screen-reader manufacturers?