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Re: Instructions for Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

for

From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Jan 12, 2020 3:33PM

There are two factors at play here
The key requirement is WCAG 2.1.1

"All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard
interface without requiring specific timings for individual
keystrokes..."
https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/keyboard-operation-keyboard-operable.html

You can either comply with this by using standard controls and expect
keyboard users to know how to operate them (this is usually true,
though nobody knows how to select multiple non-contiguous options from
a combobox) or implement your own custom keyboard commands.
If you do the latter, you must notify the user about those commands,
how else is the user able to operate the content using the keyboard,

this is where 3.3.2 comes in.
In other words, in my opinion, 2.1.1 is a fail if your custom keyboard
shortcuts are not discoverable by the user (because in that case the
user can't operate the page using the keyboard).

For WCAG requirements regarding keyboard shortcuts and avoiding
conflict with operating system/assistive technologies, the WCAG 2.1
success criterion 2.1.4 comes fairly cloes:
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/character-key-shortcuts.html

The non-normative ARIA Authoring Practices Guide has a good section on this:
https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices-1.1/#keyboard

I have to admit that I find it downright astonishing that one of the
so-called accessibility vendors use a keyboard shortcut for their
custom overlay that conflicts directly with a Jaws keyboard shortcut.
To me that's a pretty instant "no deal".




On 1/12/20, Murphy, Sean < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Peter,
>
> There is another issue which I believe is outside the scope of WCAG.
> Shortcut keys that conflict with browsers shortcut keys and the OS keys.
> This is a consideration that all developers should take into consideration.
> Also consideration of screen readers that the shortcut key does not impact
> them as well or any other assistive technology.
>
> Sean
>
>