Bearing in mind accessibility, is it kosher to dynamically group LIs into DIVs?

Hi To make convenient some animation, my strategy for a client-side script involves grouping list items into DIVs. It seems that having anything other than LI开发者_如何学运维s as the children of OL or UL elements does validate. However, I'd be doing this in script, so no validation issue (for what that's worth!).

But might this cause a problem with screen readers and so on? Thanks for any thoughts

One way to find out! I don't think there would be too much trouble, but the only way to know is to test it. Javascript's interaction with screen readers is a complex subject, so I'm hesitant to make any firm judgments. NVDA seems like a good place to start. :D

I'd normally steer clear of invalid markup, but I can't think of a better way to group things in the way you want to. Perhaps consider whether a single list is the best markup to use rather than multiple lists or some other set of constructs. Since you are needing to group list items in this way, it seems likely that there's a semantic reason for grouping them in markup as well.

As it goes, if browsers cope with the invalid markup in question, it is likely to work in screen readers and the like as well. As CrazyJugglerDrummer says, it's best to test it. However, you never know when that invalid markup is going to start causing problems in future software releases.

First off, screen readers and JavaScript do not have the best track record of compatibility. (Correct me if I'm wrong, I am no expert on usability) From what I have come to understand, screen readers typically read a static version of your page, and refresh it at seemingly random times irregardless of what dynamic changes have occured through JavaScript. This was my last experience with screen readers, but that was 3 years ago so things may have changed for the better.

To give an example, if your dynamic list is in fact an accordion that expands and contracts, you cannot with any degree of certainty know if a screen reader will display the text being shown (even if the JavaScript made the text visible to the screen).

Before I would start worrying about problems your script might cause for screen readers, I would instead focus on your overall accessibility of the site structure (HTML+CSS). Are you making integral elements to your page keyboard focusable? Are you following WAI-ARIA guidelines? Are you using the correct technique to hide content (situation dependent) display:none, left:-9999px, or visibility:hidden?