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[EXTERNAL] Navigation in application mode

for

From: Isabel Holdsworth
Date: Oct 26, 2018 1:21AM

So if I wanted to interrogate an item within a grid using a
screenreader, say for example to read a name or number character by
character, how would I do that if the arrow keys are being passed to
the application?

On 22/06/2018, Birkir R. Gunnarsson < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> The
> W3C spec never specifies exactly how a user agent should behave, but
> strongly hints at it.
> If NVDA does not switch into application mode inside a grid that's an
> NVDA bug (unless the grid is marked as readonly).
> This is why authors still use the application role on a grid, like we
> did with the datepicker, but screen readers should address these
> issues. I will go look at NVDA issues and file one if needed.
>
>
>
> On 6/22/18, glen walker < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>> Birkir, when you say that navigation to a grid should automatically
>> switch
>> to application/forms mode, are you saying a well-behaved screen reader
>> should do that for you or that the web developer should be forcing it
>> somehow?
>>
>> The spec for the grid role doesn't explicitly say a user agent should
>> switch modes but it does say the author should manage the focus.
>>
>> When navigating to a grid, NVDA doesn't give an audible notification that
>> forms mode switched but JAWS does. Using the right arrow after entering
>> a
>> grid, NVDA just reads character by character whereas JAWS will navigate
>> to
>> the next grid cell.
>>
>> So it sounds like JAWS handles the grid as you explained but NVDA does
>> not.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 22, 2018 at 11:50 AM, Birkir R. Gunnarsson <
>> <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>
>>> I would go with a grid
>>> http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices-1.1/#grid
>>> Once inside a grid the screen reader should automatically switch to
>>> application/forms mode passing keys through to the webpage.
>>> Then you can set up keyboard listeners to respond to the arrow key
>>> presses.
>>> For the JQuery script see this example of an accessible date picker:
>>> https://dequeuniversity.com/library/aria/date-pickers/sf-date-picker
>>> I workd with a developer to create this. As it was done in 2014 when
>>> the grid role was poorly supported we used role="application" to force
>>> the application mode, I believe that is no longer necessary.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 6/22/18, Brandon Keith Biggs < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>> > Hello,
>>> > Here is a good design for a calendar:
>>> > http://whatsock.com/tsg/Coding%20Arena/ARIA%20Date%
>>> 20Pickers/ARIA%20Date%20Picker%20(Basic)/demo.htm
>>> >
>>> > If you want to add in appointments, tell the user how many
>>> > appointments
>>> > there are each day and allow them to hit enter to see what is on that
>>> > day
>>> > and escape to exit back to the date picker.
>>> > Thanks,
>>> >
>>> > Brandon Keith Biggs <http://brandonkeithbiggs.com/>;
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Fri, Jun 22, 2018 at 6:23 AM Tim Harshbarger <
>>> > <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> 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
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>