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Re: ARIA tab interface

for

From: Jeremy Echols
Date: Oct 17, 2019 3:48PM

Is there a reason not to show anything prior to choosing a tab? Users who are familiar with the tab panel pattern (either from other websites or just desktop apps) will expect something by default - that's just how tabbed panels historically are implemented. Additionally, the tab pattern has a good deal of overhead to implement it correctly (http://w3c.github.io/aria-practices/#tabpanel).

It makes sense in the context of things like a control panel or different facets of related data. But if you're doing something different enough that it won't even *look* like a tab panel, chances are you want to implement a different, and possibly simpler, pattern, such as the disclosure described at http://w3c.github.io/aria-practices/#disclosure. Or if the sections are mutually exclusive, maybe an accordion: http://w3c.github.io/aria-practices/#accordion.

A tabbed view might be perfectly valid in terms of WCAG, but it's nontrivial to implement a tab panel properly (if you declare it as a tab panel, it has to act like one or else it *will* fail WCAG), and your visuals might be confusing to users who are sighted but use a screen reader.

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Tom Livingston
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2019 14:06
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] ARIA tab interface

That was my initial thought as well, which is why I asked. I guess what I was looking for was if it is a no-no from an accessibility rules stand point. The design makes sense to look at it. They are more like buttons that tabs - visually speaking - and they represent choices. Once a choice is made, related content appears. I was reading about aria-controls and the design doesn't lend itself to some of the build recommendations suggested to make that a viable option. My content is basically a tabbed interface, but like I said, didn't show tab 1 on load.

So, is it a bad thing or just not the norm?



On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 4:58 PM glen walker < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
> Seems a little odd to use a tab navigator but not have any of the tabs'
> contents displayed by default. So the content panel is empty initially?
>
> After a tab is selected, and content is displayed, can the user
> unselect the tab and go to the initial state?
>
>
> On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 1:23 PM Tom Livingston < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
> > Also, I'll add that this is the method I was looking to implement:
> >
> >
> > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs
> > /Web/Accessibility/ARIA/Roles/Tab_Role__;!5W9E9PnL_ac!XDqCdOssKzTIif
> > imWzn88N0W7tnOhzkz_fNX66qGAasA2BBOfY-42A-hV8paAKlpcQ$
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 3:13 PM Tom Livingston < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Hello list,
> > >
> > > We have a design for a page with what I believe to be a tab interface.
> > > A row of buttons that show/hide related content. The design,
> > > however, isn't showing any tabs selected by default when the page
> > > initially loads. Is this easy enough to do or would not having a
> > > tab and related content visible on page load be wrong?
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > >
> >

--

Tom Livingston | Senior Front End Developer | Media Logic |
ph: 518.456.3015x231 | fx: 518.456.4279 | medialogic.com


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