Thank you! I've been behind the times. I'll start viewing it as a general accessibility issue, not specific to screen readers. But like Steve Klabnik commented, and from http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/aria.php , there are a few more steps to take to make JavaScript enabled screen readers play nice:
"WAI-ARIA addresses these accessibility challenges by defining how information about this functionality can be provided to assistive technology. With WAI-ARIA, an advanced Web application can be made accessible and usable to people with disabilities."
But wai-aria has nothing to do with JavaScript, rather the application of semantic elements to make non-native controls able to be interpreted by screen readers.
Comments
"Screenreaders in generally do not support JavaScript."
Please stop saying that. It hasn't been true for a good 5 years or so.
* http://www.brucelawson.co.uk/2011/javascript-and-screenreade...
* http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey4/#javascript
* http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/client-side-script.html
Thank you! I've been behind the times. I'll start viewing it as a general accessibility issue, not specific to screen readers. But like Steve Klabnik commented, and from http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/aria.php , there are a few more steps to take to make JavaScript enabled screen readers play nice:
"WAI-ARIA addresses these accessibility challenges by defining how information about this functionality can be provided to assistive technology. With WAI-ARIA, an advanced Web application can be made accessible and usable to people with disabilities."
But wai-aria has nothing to do with JavaScript, rather the application of semantic elements to make non-native controls able to be interpreted by screen readers.
Thank you, now I have more things to point people at than just my blog post.