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Is a button that does not support space bar activation a violation of WCAG?

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From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: May 6, 2015 1:37PM

Hey guys

Frequently we see the following:
<code>
<a href="#" class="btn" role="button">I am a button now</a>
</code>
This is all right, except that it does not support activation using
the space bar key (only enter) ... except with screen readers that
automatically create that mapping for links and buttons, in my
testing.
I know this is not the accepted best practice, some users only use
space bar to execute buttons, sometimes using enter would accidentally
submit a form when user intended to activate a button in the form.
But is there a direct reference in WCAG or aa related W3C document
that buttons should always be coded so that they can be activated with
both enter and space bar?
(ARIA Authoring Practices is not normative(.
When dealing with large corporate clients this one additional
requirement can mean hundreds of developer hours, so the argument
needs to be as strong as possible,or this should be pointed out as a
best practice if it cannot be explicitly shown as a violation.

Cheers
-Birkir


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