When should a modal-dialog get its real-time data?

1. What does it mean when a dialog is modal?
2. When a modal box appears what should the user do?
3. What must a modal feature in order to achieve the proper level of accessibility?

What does it mean when a dialog is modal?

Definition: A modal dialog is a dialog that appears on top of the main content and moves the system into a special mode requiring user interaction. This dialog disables the main content until the user explicitly interacts with the modal dialog.

When a modal box appears what should the user do?

The purpose of modals can be summed up in one word: focus. If you need visitors to focus on something simple, a modal window is one of the most effective means to do so. Users must either close the modal, or complete a specific action within it (e.g., reading a message and clicking “OK”, filling out a form, etc.).

What must a modal feature in order to achieve the proper level of accessibility?

For good accessibility, everything needs to be properly labelled. A modal dialog needs to inform screen reader users about is content and purpose so it needs to be labelled.