Designing Accessible Web Pages

Frames

Navigation with frames is highly problematic for users with visual disabilities. The relationship between the content of the frames must be conveyed through other means.

To make your frame-based site more accessible, keep it flexible. Don't set up the framed page for a certain size screen; your visitors might view it on a smaller screen.

Perhaps the most common problem with frames-based pages, is that the browser (in this case, the screen reader for the visually disabled) simply does not support frames. In this case, be sure to include a NOFRAMES option in your site setup. Adding the NOFRAMES tag after your frame data in the source code will automatically offer this option to users whose web browsers do not support frames, or who have chosen not to view frames in their browser. Every frame has a content document somewhere. It takes very little effort to provide a link to the primary content page or even to include the entire text of the main content page in the NOFRAMES section. This is not something that can be done easily without a basic knowledge of HTML 4.0. If you feel this is beyond your abilities, you may want to consider using IMAGE MAPS instead of FRAMES.

A good source for accessibility issues regarding frames is at the WAI.

The Web Design Group has a good information on frames.

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