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Re: Question on setting default focus on a page...

for

From: Bim Egan
Date: May 17, 2016 11:43AM

All good points so far, here's my take. When a screenreader user lands on a
page where focus is put into the first form field:
A) There's a perplexing volume of information coming their way. The reader
will announce the page title, how many headings there are and how many
regions . It may or may not read the field label and the screenreader is put
into forms mode. Forms mode can be a tone or a voiced notification;
B) It's confusing when exactly the same thing happens if the user lands on a
page in an element that puts the screenreader into application mode. In my
screenreaders the audible signals that forms mode is invoked are identical
to the application mode tones. .

So the user's left not being sure which keys to press. The volume of
landing output could obscure the field label announcement or any voiced
forms mode notification, so they may well start using keyboard shortcuts for
headings or regions. (Can't tell you how many times I've typed H1 into a
field trying to get to the main content heading).

If the aim is to make it easy for keyboard only users to reach the start of
the form, a skip link would do the trick. If it's to make it quicker for a
mouse user to click into the first field ... The price is too high.

I agree with Patrick that this is, (or certainly should be), a 2.4.3 focus
order violation.

Best,
Bim