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Re: Non-interactive elements

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From: Murphy, Sean
Date: May 7, 2020 6:22PM

Tab focus is to perform an action. Non-interaction elements is for information. Placing keyboard focus on non-interactive items confuse people from my point of view.





Sean Murphy | Digital System specialist (Accessibility)
Telstra Digital Channels | Digital Systems
Mobile: 0405 129 739 | Desk: (02) 9866-7917

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Sumit Patel
Sent: Thursday, 7 May 2020 9:15 PM
To: Mallory < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Cc: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Non-interactive elements

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So, does it mean - If a non-interactive element is coming on tab focus, is it a best practice?

On 07/05/2020, Mallory < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> I haven't tended to use 2.4.3 for that (usually it's very much in the
> regular content and Tab order). Sometimes I set it under 4.1.2, with
> the explanation that if I can focus it, it must be interactive and
> interactive things need a name and role. Then in the recommendation of
> my ticket, if they just threw tabindex="0" on random things like a
> span, I'd recommend they remove the tabindex instead of trying to add
> a name and role to the thing.
>
> If it can be mouse-clicked and it's focusable but I can't keyboard it,
> 2.1.1.
>
> If it can be focussed and also doesn't show a focus outline, I can hit
> it with 2.4.7. This includes when developers add a tabindex to a
> scrollable region (which I encourage, since only Firefox does it
> automatically) so keybaorders can scroll content: then I'll recommend
> they make that focus visible, and since it's interactive I'll try to
> think of an appropriate name and role for the area if they can't
> redesign the section to prevent having a scrollable area. This also
> includes making a widget (like a tablist) focusable, which might be
> how the widget is built instead of making one of the tabs inside
> focusable. I'm okay with making the whole list a focusable group,
> since once it has focus, users need to switch to arrows. It needs a group name then in my opinion. Same for listboxes and other similar widgets.
> If you don't feel that is right, then insist developers put focus on
> the first (or active) control inside when users Tab to the widget, and
> never the entire widget itself.
>
> In another mail someone argued that if you can focus on something but
> it doesn't do anything with keyboard (and wouldn't anyway because it's
> something inert like a container or a span), that could still go under
> 2.1.1, but that SC is really about things users *can* interact with
> via a mouse or something, but can't with keyboard.
>
> You could maybe also argue 2.4.1. The point of Bypass Blocks is to
> prevent keyboarders from needing to Tab a thousand times to reach
> something. If every page (or View in an SPA) happens to have the same
> focusable-but-inert areas and users have to Tab past a bunch on every
> page to reach actual content or controls, you could probably put it
> under the same reasoning as Bypass Blocks (lots of Tab stops) but then
> suggest removing the focusability, instead of adding a skip mechanism.
>
> In the end, WCAG doesn't explicitly say anything about being able to
> focus on useless stuff. It only says that people *can* do things with
> keyboard (and not even that it works following any particular expected
> pattern with keyboard either). You either have to be creative or let it pass.
>
> This is why WCAG-only audits suck.
>
> cheers,
> _mallory
>
> On Thu, May 7, 2020, at 10:11 AM, Sumit Patel wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Hope you all are doing well....
>>
>> Today I came across through a discussion regarding Non-interactive
>> elements coming on Tab focus. I was considering it as the violation
>> of
>> 2.4.3 . Is it fall into 2.4.3 or any other SC.
>> Waiting for replies...
>>
>> And what about tab focus is going to interactive and non-interactive
>> elements together?
>> >> >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >>
>