WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: "Safe" shortcut keys

for

From: Rich Pedley
Date: Feb 12, 2009 2:30AM


On 12/02/2009 01:43, John Foliot wrote:
> Rich Pedley wrote:
>> But until every site allows people to set their own access keys -
>> which lets face it is never going to happen - then their usefulness is
>> considerably lessened. Look at the situation where access keys *are*
>> implemented - how many sites actually use the same set? You might say
>> that the government sites do, but I can guarantee that they all don't.
>> So then it becomes hit and miss as to whether they work or not.
>
> HOWEVER...
>
> If we start to see widespread adoption of the ARIA landmark roles <big
> hint!>, then the user-agents will have predictable DOM hooks that can then
> be configured by the end user as far as key-mapping is concerned. For
> example, if the majority of sites used the @role landmark of "search"
> (role="search") then you could configure your browser so that a particular
> keystroke combination (of *your* choosing) would always put focus on the
> search area. This completely eliminates "learn-ability" issues as well as
> potential keystroke conflicts with different browsers and adaptive
> technologies, making my poor little chart of 2002 a quaint reminder of the
> way things used to be...
>
> So Rich, never say never...
>
>> So I agree with John, no surprise on this topic.
>>
>
> That's only because you've been hearing me go on about accesskeys for
> years Rich (LOL)

actually I deleted the part about until UA can...

Rich