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Re: <select multiple> and WCAG compliance

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From: Roel Van Gils
Date: Oct 24, 2017 8:04AM

Thanks all. Very informative.

I knew about multi-select in Firefox, but Shift+F8 in IE / Edge was completely new to me.

If Chrome and Safari are indeed the only browsers there are lacking support, I'd like to file a bug report / feature request.

(I think it might even be possible to mimic the Firefox behaviour in other browsers using scripting.)

Roel

> On 24 Oct 2017, at 15:50, Sailesh Panchang < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
> I echo Jonathan's experience.
> Also hold the control key as one goes up and down with arrow keys and
> use space to select/deselect.
> Thanks,
> Sailesh
>
>
> On 10/24/17, Jonathan Avila < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>> I have been able to select non-contiguous options using Firefox but I have
>>> not been able to do so using Chrome or Internet Explorer. Has anyone been
>>> able to do so in either of those browsers?
>>
>> I've been using shift+f8 for multiselect in IE since 1999. It's a
>> well-documented keystrokes to select non-contiguous items.
>>
>> Jonathan
>>
>> Jonathan Avila
>> Chief Accessibility Officer
>> Level Access, inc. (formerly SSB BART Group, inc.)
>> <EMAIL REMOVED>
>> 703.637.8957 (Office)
>> Visit us online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Blog
>> Looking to boost your accessibility knowledge? Check out our free webinars!
>>
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>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf
>> Of Steve Green
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2017 8:24 AM
>> To: WebAIM Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] <select multiple> and WCAG compliance
>>
>> My view is that if it doesn't work in all the major browsers, then it's a
>> WCAG non-compliance even if the code is HTML standards-compliant. That
>> particular WCAG success criterion does not require the HTML to be compliant
>> - it requires the feature to be keyboard accessible, which it isn't.
>>
>> I have been able to select non-contiguous options using Firefox but I have
>> not been able to do so using Chrome or Internet Explorer. Has anyone been
>> able to do so in either of those browsers?
>>
>> There is another, perhaps bigger, issue. When returning to a page containing
>> a multi-select combobox, the user does not know it is multi-select. If they
>> give focus to it without holding down the necessary modifier key (which
>> seems to be different in each browser) all the selected options will become
>> unselected. There would therefore need to be some text explaining this (and
>> the need for text explaining how your UI works is usually a clue it's a bad
>> design).
>>
>> Regards,
>> Steve Green
>> Managing Director
>> Test Partners Ltd
>>
>> >> From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > on behalf of Roel
>> Van Gils < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>> Sent: 24 October 2017 12:47
>> To: WebAIM Discussion List
>> Subject: [WebAIM] <select multiple> and WCAG compliance
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I consider using `<select multiple>` (see example below) a very poor
>> practice in terms of accessibility (and usability in general). I usually
>> suggest using a series of checkboxes instead.
>>
>> <select multiple>
>> <option value="volvo">Volvo</option>
>> <option value="saab">Saab</option>
>> <option value="opel">Opel</option>
>> <option value="audi">Audi</option>
>> </select>
>>
>> Most users don't know they have to hold down a modifier key (dependent on
>> the OS they're using) to select more than items, and even if even they know
>> (or tell them), it's hard for certain users to operate the keyboard and the
>> mouse at the same time. Without a mouse, I believe that's not even possible
>> in most browsers.
>>
>> Screenreader support is also spotty, but it's possible (if you try hard
>> enough).
>>
>> My question is: is it acceptable to let a website fail for WCAG 2.1.1 ('Make
>> all functionality available from a keyboard') when the author uses perfectly
>> valid and semantic HTML? That seems wrong.
>>
>> That seems really weird, because, after all, it's perfectly valid and Plain
>> Old Semantic HTML.
>>
>> I'd love to hear your opinions.
>>
>> Roel
>>
>> --
>> Roel Van Gils
>> Inclusive Design & Accessibility Consultant
>>
>> Tel.: +32 473 88 18 06
>> Skype: roelvangils
>> Twitter: twitter.com/roelvangils
>> LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roelvangils
>>
>>
>> >> >> http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >> >> >> http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >> >> >> >> >>
>
>
> --
> Sailesh Panchang
> Principal Accessibility Consultant
> Deque Systems Inc
> Phone 703-225-0380 ext 105
> Mobile: 571-344-1765
> > > >