Frames

Accessibility Standards Checklist

Requirement

Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation.

Reason

Frames are a set of two or more HTML documents that are displayed simultaneously in separate "panes" of the browser window. Unfortunately, frames can also present difficulties for users with disabilities when those frames are not easily identifiable to assistive technology. For instance, a popular use of frames is to create "navigational bars" in a fixed position on the screen and have the content of the Web site retrievable by activating one of those navigational buttons. The new content is displayed in another area of the screen. Because the navigational bar doesn't change, it provides a stable "frame-of-reference" for users and makes navigation much easier. However, users with disabilities may become lost if the differences between the two frames are not clearly established.

When text browsers are used, the user chooses which titled frame to open from a list. The frame titles must be meaningful for the user so that the user can choose the appropriate frame without guessing. For instance, in the case of the navigation bar, a Web developer should consider putting words such as "Navigational Links" at the beginning of the contents of the frame to let all users know that the frame depicts navigational links. Providing titles like this at the top of the contents of each frame satisfies these requirements.

Examples

This section is provided for informational purposes. The Governors Web Publishing Policy does not permit the use of frames.

Frame Titles

• <frameset cols="10%, 90%" title="Welcome to TennesseeAnytime.">
  • <frame src="nav.html" title="Navigation bar.">
  • <frame src="doc.html" title="Downloadable Forms.">
  • <noframes>
    • <a href="forms.html" title="Downloadable Forms.">Go to Downloadable Forms.</a>
  • </noframes>
• </frameset>

Do not title the frame with nondescriptive titles such as "left frame" or "top frame".

Use the <noframes> tag to provide functional alternative text for browsers and assistive technologies that do not support frames. The <noframes> tag, which is all too often overlooked by developers, should link to a non-frames version of your site or duplicate the main site navigation, allowing people to access all of your site's content. It should not merely tell visitors to upgrade their browsers so that they can experience your site in all its frames-glory.

• <noframes>
  • <p>Here is the <a href="noframes.html">non-frame based version of the document.</a></p>
• </noframes>

Suggestions for testing this on your pages

• Opera with frames turned off
• Lynx text-only browser
• Pass/Fail Examples