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Re: Including non-interactive elements in the tab order

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From: tim.harshbarger
Date: Feb 26, 2024 11:49AM

I think that some times people may misunderstand how screen readers work and they may assume that the screen reader needs to be able to tab to items to read them.

I typically try to explain that most people who rely on the keyboard can see and do not use a screen reader. Also, screen reader users have other mechanisms that allow them to access non-interactive elements.

If they are concerned that screen reader users will miss the inline validation messages, talk them through using something like aria-describedby to associate the error message with the field and use either role="alert" or an assertive live region to ensure the screen reader notifies the user immediately when the error message appears. That will end up being a better user experience for everyone.

Thanks!
Tim