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ARIA role changing browser behavior

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From: Jim Allan
Date: Dec 4, 2023 2:58PM

Hi all
I was testing a webpage that had an input that was readonly, but visually
functioned like a dropdown (some kind of react control - I am not a
scripter). the items in the 'dropdown' were 5 divs with several 'class'
values and tabindex=-1. the input control was a disaster and did not
function properly.
I hacked around in the Inspect tool. I removed the 'readonly' and added a
role="listbox" to the <input> and suddenly the input functioned perfectly
from the keyboard with a screenreader.
It has always been my understanding that aria roles change what the screen
reader calls something but does not affect the functioning. I am perplexed.
Could there be something in the JS that is looking for role="listbox" and
doing different things? Or is something else going on?
Anyone else experienced this?
I can't share the code as its a dev site.
Seeking understanding...
Jim

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Jim Allan, Accessibility Coordinator
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
1100 W. 45th St., Austin, Texas 78756
voice 512.206.9315 fax: 512.206.9452 http://www.tsbvi.edu/
"We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us." McLuhan, 1964