Patent ID: 7493560

Claim:
A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions, wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of: A) sending the instructions over transmission media; B) receiving the instructions over transmission media; C) storing the instructions onto a machine-readable storage medium; and D) executing the instructions; wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: while a screen reader is reading to a user an online document containing a link, determining when the screen reader has arrived at a first portion of the online document that contains the link; in response to determining that the screen reader has arrived at the first portion of the online document that contains the link, providing a mechanism to the user by which the user can select to have a definition text, associated with the link, immediately read to the user; wherein the link identifies a footnote, wherein the footnote has the definition text that is a second portion of content of the online document and that is located within the online document at a location that is not proximate to the link, and wherein the definition text is a text of the footnote; receiving, through the mechanism, first input which indicates that the user has selected to have the definition text that is associated with the link immediately read to the user; in response to the first input, performing the steps of: activating the link; and in response to activating the link, invoking a programmatic routine, wherein the programmatic routine, when invoked, causes the one or more processors to perform: generating a pop-up window, wherein the pop-up window includes the definition text and a user prompt, wherein generating the pop-up window includes copying into the pop-up window said second portion of the content of the online document; automatically shifting focus away from the first portion of the online document that contains the link to allow the screen reader to read to the user the definition text associated with the link, wherein shifting focus away from the first portion comprises shifting focus to the pop-up window; the screen reader reading, from the pop-up window, the definition text to the user; and after the screen reader finishes reading the definition text associated with the link, performing the steps of: receiving second input from the user, wherein the second input selects the user prompt; in response to receiving the second input, closing the pop-up window; shifting the focus back to the online document that contains the link to allow the screen reader to continue to read at a position in the online document that is proximate to the link; and the screen reader continuing to read at the position in the online document that is proximate to the link.