Frames

Access barriers
Guidelines for overcoming access barriers
Activity

Frames are used to display banners, logos and navigation buttons constantly as users work through the content of the site. However, frames create a more complex structure.

Access barriers

Every time you introduce structural complexities you increase the chances that some complexities will not translate via adaptive technologies. You will risk complicating the experience for those with physical or cognitive disabilities.
When used without scripting, frames tend to disable the 'previous page' functionality.
The 'current state' of a frameset cannot be referred to with a URL because when a frameset changes contents, the original URL no longer applies.

Guidelines for overcoming access barriers

Use the 'title' and 'name' attribute to title each frame. This assists adaptive technologies to identify and navigate through frames. Use titles that describe the frame contents, such as 'Navigation' and 'Main site content' rather than meaningless titles like 'Left Frame' and 'Top Frame'. FRAMES EXAMPLE 1
Use the NOFRAMES tag to provide alternative text for adaptive technologies that do not support frames. The NOFRAMES tag should link to a non-frames version of your site or a non-frames version of the main site navigation. FRAMES EXAMPLE 2
Specify the sizes of each frame in a frameset in percentages, so that they will adjust properly when a user resizes the window.
Give each page in your site a meaningful title using the TITLE element (up between the HEAD tags). Screen readers will read and use these titles and assist users to know what page they are on.

Activity

If frames are present in your website, use the checklist below to assess any accessibility barriers that may be present. If you have ticked 'no' for any item, go to the Guidelines for how to overcome this barrier.

Using frames

The 'title' and 'name' attributes are used to title each frame.

Yes No N/A
The 'alt' text is used to describe the purpose of frames and their relationship to one another.

Yes No N/A
The size of each frame in a frameset are set in percentages.

Yes No N/A
Each page in your site has a meaningful title using the TITLE element.

Yes No N/A

Check your website using the following technique. This has been provided by IBM to help verify accessibility of frames.

Verify the accessibility of your frameset
Verify	Action	Result
Assignment of names and titles to FRAME elements.	View the page with IBM Home Page Reader (HPR).	HPR opens each frame page and creates a list of frames using the page title, if it is available. If the title is not available, the name attribute is used. [Frame 1 (company logo): Untitled] [Frame 2: navigation] [Frame 3: company main contents] Note: Frames 2 and 3 display information from the TITLE element of navigation.html and maincontent.html. Frame 1 displays the name attribute of the FRAME element because logo.html is untitled.