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Navigating listbox with NVDA

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From: Sean Keegan
Date: Sep 23, 2017 3:32PM

Hello all,

I have a button element that expands an unordered list of options. This
list is encompassed with a parent <ul> element with tabindex=0 and
role=listbox. The list of options is hidden until the user presses the
button.

Right now, when the button element is activated, the unordered list of
options opens and focus is set to one of the options (it is a list of
countries). A subsequent tab key takes the user out of the list and into
the next form input.

A problem we are encountering is with NVDA+Firefox in that NVDA remains in
browse mode when the unordered list of options opens. Attempting to
navigate with the arrow keys continues moving the user through the page,
not the list. The user must manually invoke NVDA's focus mode in order to
navigate the list.

Is this expected behavior with NVDA in that focus mode must be manually set
to navigate a listbox region of options after being opened?

Running current versions of NVDA and Firefox.

Thanks in advance,
Sean