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Thread: Question about inactive buttons and feedback...
Number of posts in this thread: 4 (In chronological order)
From: Ray Alexander
Date: Mon, Mar 11 2019 9:05AM
Subject: Question about inactive buttons and feedback...
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We are having a debate at work about inactive UI components.
We all understand and agree that, according to 1.4.3, inactive user interface components do not need to conform to color contrast requirements.
I have read back through the archives of this email list to try and find an answer to our debate, but no luck.
Here is the question: if an "inactive" button provides feedback about why the button is inactive, is it still an inactive button?
For example...there is a process that requires 3 actions be taken before the process can be submitted. There is an inactive button below the list of 3 actions. If the button is pressed while 1 action remains uncompleted, can we provide the user with information about what needs to be completed to continue? Or, does adding in that feedback re-define the button as an active UI component?
Thanks,
Ray
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From: Jim Homme
Date: Mon, Mar 11 2019 9:18AM
Subject: Re: Question about inactive buttons and feedback...
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Hi,
I think that I would start with the idea that a button is inactive because you can't use it. I would separate that from the idea that you want to add the additional information. That makes me want to say that I appreciate you giving me the information, because I would think it is helpful to know why the button is inactive. I would also say that I would be in favor of keeping the inactive button in the tab order, because if someone is in Forms or Focus mode with a screen reader, they would land on it and hopefully hear that it is inactive and why.
Thanks.
Jim
=========Jim Homme
Digital Accessibility
Bender Consulting Services
412-787-8567
https://www.benderconsult.com/our%20services/hightest-accessible-technology-solutions
From: Isabel Holdsworth
Date: Mon, Mar 11 2019 9:46AM
Subject: Re: Question about inactive buttons and feedback...
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Hi Ray,
Yes, if the button can be pressed, even if pressing it just informs
the user that nothing useful can happen until they've performed some
action or other, then the button would be considered active again.
Cheers, Isabel
On 11/03/2019, Jim Homme < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi,
> I think that I would start with the idea that a button is inactive because
> you can't use it. I would separate that from the idea that you want to add
> the additional information. That makes me want to say that I appreciate you
> giving me the information, because I would think it is helpful to know why
> the button is inactive. I would also say that I would be in favor of keeping
> the inactive button in the tab order, because if someone is in Forms or
> Focus mode with a screen reader, they would land on it and hopefully hear
> that it is inactive and why.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> =========> Jim Homme
> Digital Accessibility
> Bender Consulting Services
> 412-787-8567
> https://www.benderconsult.com/our%20services/hightest-accessible-technology-solutions
>
>
From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Mon, Mar 11 2019 11:44AM
Subject: Re: Question about inactive buttons and feedback...
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On 11/03/2019 15:05, Ray Alexander wrote:
> We are having a debate at work about inactive UI components.
>
> We all understand and agree that, according to 1.4.3, inactive user interface components do not need to conform to color contrast requirements.
>
> I have read back through the archives of this email list to try and find an answer to our debate, but no luck.
>
> Here is the question: if an "inactive" button provides feedback about why the button is inactive, is it still an inactive button?
>
> For example...there is a process that requires 3 actions be taken before the process can be submitted. There is an inactive button below the list of 3 actions. If the button is pressed while 1 action remains uncompleted, can we provide the user with information about what needs to be completed to continue? Or, does adding in that feedback re-define the button as an active UI component?
If you can focus and activate the button (and it pops up some
notification), then it's not inactive as such ... there is an action
associated with it being activated. So the exemption under 1.4.3 would
not apply, I'd say.
P
--
Patrick H. Lauke
www.splintered.co.uk | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
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