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Re: interface has a search bar that is actually a button. WHY?????

for

From: Sailesh Panchang
Date: Oct 6, 2021 11:02AM

Hello, I disagree.
Does the search bar look like a heading or a button? Is there any
visual cue to indicate that it can be expanded / collapsed?
If it appears simply like a heading and if one does not expect it to
be in the tab order, then it should be marked as a heading and not be
keyboard navigable/operable. You can fail it at a minimum for SC 1.3.1
because the structure conveyed by presentation is not what the markup
conveys.
Then if it appears like an operable element but an AT user cannot
figure out its expanded / collapsed state, one could fail it for SC
4.1.2 because the state is not conveyed. Typically one would expect
the "search" button to submit the search form.
If you are seeing differences in element identification and behavior
across the site, consider consistent identification SC 3.2.4 too.
Thanks,
--
Sailesh Panchang
Principal Accessibility Consultant
Deque Systems Inc
381 Elden Street, Suite 2000, Herndon,
VA 20170
Mobile: 571-344-1765


On 10/6/21, Andy Andrews < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Thanks Steve and Patrick.
>
> We assumed it would not be a violation, but wanted to double check.
> Yesterday we discovered that it's not like that with every product they
> have. If you go to their home page the search bar is a search bar, same with
> a few of the eBooks we tested in our catalogue. So the experience varies
> depending on what product the user is using. Which is even more confusing
> for users. We are hoping the database interface in question is an anomaly
> and not a indicator of a vendor wide change they have in the works. We plan
> to give them feedback.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Andy
>
>