WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Expected behavior for focus events when using screenreader arrow navigation

for

From: cb
Date: Jun 26, 2019 1:03PM

What is the expected or optimal result when a screenreader user is using
arrow navigation and comes across a focusable element that has a focus
event?

For example, let's say there is a link that has a flyout of some sort that
activates on hover and on focus. When using tab navigation, I'd expect that
the focus event would be triggered and the flyout would appear. (I'd also
expect that it would be coded in an accessible way so that the screenreader
user would know what had happened and would be able to access the content
of the flyout! But that's not the focus of this question.) What should
happen when you encounter the same element using arrow navigation? Right
now it looks like NVDA triggers the focus event, but Jaws does not. Not
sure about VoiceOver.

To add complexity: If the link has a destination, and if the screenreader
does not trigger the focus event, how can a screenreader user activate the
flyout without activating the link and moving off the page?

Thanks

Caroline