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Re: Multiple live regions

for

From: Léonie Watson
Date: Aug 31, 2015 9:57AM

> From: WebAIM-Forum On Behalf Of <EMAIL REMOVED>
> Sent: 31 August 2015 09:36
> There seems to be a problem in several browser/screen reader combinations
> when several live regions exist on the same page and they are triggered at
> the same time. Wouldn't the expected behavior be to queue up the
> announcements - especially if set to polite?

The purpose of a live region is for the screen reader to wait a limited amount of time before announcing the update. If the region is set to polite, the screen reader pauses slightly before making the announcement. If set to assertive, the screen reader doesn't pause at all before making the announcement.

With multiple live regions the screen reader will start to announce the first, interrupt itself to announce the second, and so forth. Even if all live regions are timed to update simultaneously, there will be a queue as the screen reader tries to process each one as it should.

As Birkir mentioned, the notion of multiple live regions on the same page - especially ones that update simultaneously, is emphatically not a good user experience. The effect would be akin to someone standing next to you, waving their hands in front of your face, and shouting in your ear as you were trying to read what was on the page!

Léonie.

--
Senior accessibility engineer @PacielloGroup @LeonieWatson



>
> All comments welcome,
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Best regards,
> Stein Erik Skotkjerra
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