Using Layers
layers and accessbility, whats the deal?
I noticed a site someone mentioned uses layers as a layout device. How does this sit with accessibility?
Does the use of layers not restrict the size of the site (e.g fixed width layers means fixed width site?) meaning people with larger or smaller resolutions suffer.
Or am i getting it all wrong?
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The layers as I would image it would be for eye candy purposes only. If the div blocks are laid out in a logical sequence then really the site is still accessible. Regarding widths, yes strictly speaking relative sizing should be used instead of fixed but sometimes that creates more headaches than enough, especially with menus.
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By "layers" I assume that you mean positioned elements?
Used wisely, positioned elements can actually increase accessibility. However, as with anything else, when abused, they can be very detrimental.
An example: Let's say you want a sidebar menu on the left side, containing your secondary navigation. Normally, you'd have to put the navigation before your content to accomplish this. If that menu contains a large number of links, it might cause major accessibility problems for some users (e.g. using screen readers or not using a mouse).
If you put the navigation list after your content, and position it with CSS-P, you could achieve the desired layout without those accessibility concerns.
Fixed-width design, however, is usually bad for accessibility. That's an unrelated issue, though. You can (and should) use relative units with positioning to create liquid designs that work on any device and in any resolution.
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