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Re: Does role="combobox" eat the identity of nested elements?

for

From: mhysnm1964@gmail.com
Date: Sep 11, 2019 6:08AM

I am sure I have come across accessible combo boxes with edit fields. Do not
recall if they have auto-search or not. I must keep an eye out for one.

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Steve
Green
Sent: Wednesday, 11 September 2019 7:40 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Does role="combobox" eat the identity of nested
elements?

There aren't any accessible patterns for comboboxes, and I am far from
convinced that it is even possible with the current state of browsers and
assistive technologies. I test every pattern I come across and they all have
shortcomings. Some work adequately if you are in the right mode i.e. browse
mode or forms mode, but they are terrible if you are in the wrong mode. Some
work when you initially navigate to them, but do not work correctly when you
return to them after making a selection.

I listed at least nine different means of interaction that need to be
supported, such as which mode a screen reader is in when navigating to the
combobox, whether or not a selection is made or changed, how the selection
is made (e.g. spacebar or Enter key) and how you navigate away from the
combobox (e.g. Tab key, Escape key etc.). Any viable pattern needs to work
correctly with all of these means of interaction, but I have not found a
pattern that comes close.

And all that needs to work properly before you can even start to think about
embellishments such as autocomplete or making a selection by character key.

I tell all our clients to use native select elements and to live with the
fact that some browsers won't allow you to style them the way you want. For
the time being, there's no point trying to pretend there's another solution.

Steve


-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of
Graham Armfield
Sent: 10 September 2019 20:24
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Does role="combobox" eat the identity of nested
elements?

Which of course begs the question...

If we're showing developers how an accessible combobox should be
implemented, what accessible patterns are there out there - that work nicely
for screen reader users through browsers and AT that are in use at the
moment?

Regards
Graham Armfield

On Tue, 10 Sep 2019, 01:14 Steve Green, < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
wrote:

> The ARIA 1.0 examples are equally terrible. Maybe they didn't used to
> be, but they are with current browsers and screen readers (and if my
> memory is correct, they always were).
>
> Steve
>
>
>
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