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Re: [EXTERNAL] Navigation in application mode

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From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Jun 22, 2018 7:23AM

Instead of using role="application", it would be better to use an ARIA design pattern that more closely matched the interaction.

The thing with role="application" is that, while it puts screen reader users in forms mode, it doesn't really tell us how to get around the application. So using role="application" for one part of the page is not likely to inform screen reader users that pressing the up and down arrow keys will move from meeting to meeting and pressing the left and right arrow keys will move between days.

A listbox might work because a screen reader user will expect the up and down arrow keys to move up and down the list. Unfortunately, there is also an expectation that using the left and right arrow keys will do the same exact thing as using the up and down arrow keys. Users would not expect the left and right arrow keys to move between days. If you used a listbox, you likely would need to explicitly inform users of what the left and right arrow keys do differently.

To me, this sounds more like a grid. In a grid, there would likely be a better expectation that the up and down arrow keys would move within the day while the left and right arrow keys move between days.

Thanks,
Tim