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Re: building accessible javascript accordions?

for

From: Léonie Watson
Date: Aug 2, 2013 2:39AM

Alastair Campbell wrote:
"Agree, but for a regular user I would apply the same logic to tabs as well
though. You know the difference, but what signals the change of model for a
regular user?"

Isn't that down to the design and the visual cues? The ARIA should provide
the same cues, so everyone understands the necessary interaction.

Taking a simple example, if it looks like a button, or your AT tells you
it's a button, you hit it like a button.

This is the real crux of the matter. Everyone knows what a button is and
what to do with it. People are far more confused by the more complex design
patterns like tabs or accordions though.

The real question (to my mind) is how do we arrive at the point where people
are familiar with these interactions? Most people don't bat an eyelid at a
tabbed UI in a software application, but put it in the middle of a website
and it becomes a problem.

So in some respects we're back at one of the oldest UX conundrums. Do we
expect people to learn for themselves, do we provide educational materials
to help them learn, or do we provide easier ways of accomplishing the task
at hand? Then, whichever of those we choose, how do we do it effectively?

Léonie.