Just like with search engines, HTML frames play havoc with screen readers and audible browsers. This means that if you use frames, your page may not be readable at all by some of your customers.
As HTML frames grow in popularity, they make the web more and more difficult to view by a segment of the population. And the sad thing is, this is not a difficult problem to solve. Creating accessible frames is easy.
Many governments are stepping in to the web arena to specify the accessibility guidelines for web pages. And most of the time, these guidelines include the use of HTML frames.
Here are some suggestions for how to make your framed website more accessible.
- Don't use frames
I've never been a huge fan of frames. The problems they solve can often be solved using CSS or just better layout. So before you decide to frame your site, consider the implications. - Always use the noframes tag
This is such a simple solution, and yet many many framed websites don't use the noframes tag, or their noframes page says something useless like “This page uses frames, please upgrade your browser.” - Use just a few frames
Technology is getting better, and screen readers that used to not be able to read frames can now read some sites with frames, but only if there are just a few frames. Two is my recommendation—three if you absolutely have to. - Keep navigation in every frame. Make sure that the navigation around your site is included in every frame. That way, even if your customer is not using the frames, she can still get around the site.
If you must use a framed design, then be sure to use the noframes tag. The easiest way to create a noframes page is to just put a link to the actual content of your page - usually the main frame. It means that your customers with disabilities will have to click one more time, but at least they can read the content. Of course, the optimal solution is to reproduce the content in the noframes page, so that they have it right there.
Another option is to put the content of your homepage in an SSI file and then use SSI includes to include that file in both your home page and your noframes page. Even if your server doesn't support SSI, you can include content by other methods.
Don't Wait Till You're Forced To Make Your Frames Accessible
As I mentioned above, governments are taking an active role in the Internet, and making requirements for accessibility on web pages similar to the laws about brick and mortar stores. If your site sells something, it might become liable for accessibility standards set by your government. But if you're already accessible, you'll be ahead of the game.
