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Number of posts in this thread: 8 (In chronological order)

From: Don Mauck
Date: Fri, Feb 18 2022 11:58AM
Subject: Search result notifications - Screen readers
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Hello -
I've a question for Screen reader users of which I am one myself, I would like other users perspective.
When searches are done and results appear underneath the filed, that suggestions, records or values, (These searches will populate as you type), would you expect to get a notification that records were found? Conversely, a notification of "nothing found"?

From: glen walker
Date: Fri, Feb 18 2022 12:30PM
Subject: Re: Search result notifications - Screen readers
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From a UX perspective, I think it's a great idea to update the page with a
notification about updated results. If that's done, then it absolutely has
to be available to assistive technology via WCAG 4.1.3.

However, if there is not an update, then there's nothing to announce to
assistive technology either. A sighted user might notice that the page
updates (if the update is within view) so they have a little advantage in
that situation. It would be nice if that same visual cue was conveyed to
all users, but even sighted users might miss it. If they're not watching
the page, they might not see the update. If the page is scrolled and the
update happens elsewhere, they might not see it. I would consider that a
bad UX design and not a WCAG failure.

Typically, if you have a page where you can filter items, whether by
checking boxes or typing in fields, the page usually updates and there's a
message telling you how many results there are. That's an easy situation
that the updated results number must be announced. But if the page updates
and no result count is updated, is that a failure? It kind of depends on
your definition of failure. It might not be a WCAG failure (there isn't a
status message to announce) but it feels like a UX failure. But you could
also argue that the structure and relationships on the page updated as a
result of filtering and that new information was not conveyed and thus a
1.3.1 failure.

If I were testing a page in the latter category, I might note a UX issue
saying it'd be nice if there was a message noting a count of the filtered
results and that that message should be available to assistive technology.


On Fri, Feb 18, 2022 at 11:58 AM Don Mauck < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Hello -
> I've a question for Screen reader users of which I am one myself, I would
> like other users perspective.
> When searches are done and results appear underneath the filed, that
> suggestions, records or values, (These searches will populate as you type),
> would you expect to get a notification that records were found? Conversely,
> a notification of "nothing found"?
> > > > >

From: Don Mauck
Date: Fri, Feb 18 2022 12:35PM
Subject: Re: [External] :Search result notifications - Screen readers
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Glen, you echo much of what I think as well. It's just good to have another opinion as I think after a while, people here me say it so much that my message might get a bit stale.
Great input.

From: Mark Magennis
Date: Mon, Feb 21 2022 2:12AM
Subject: Re: Search result notifications - Screen readers
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You mentioned suggestions there Don. That sounds like an autocomplete search field that pops up a listbox containing suggested searches that match your input. The number of suggestions changes as you type and although there is no visible message saying how many it contains, it is visually apparent and it is informative so it makes sense to use a live region to give a feedback message such as "10 suggestions". When the number of matches changes, the message will automatically be read again - "8 suggestions", "3 suggestions", etc.

From: Peter Weil
Date: Mon, Feb 21 2022 6:20AM
Subject: Re: Search result notifications - Screen readers
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Just to add something to the discussion: if you do an autocomplete (combobox) along the lines suggested/recommended in ARIA 1.2 (List autocomplete with manual selection) plus the aria-active-descendant attribute, the first item will be selected and announced as ”item n of [total]". This gives you an announcement of the total number of results without a live region (thus possibly avoiding a lot of extra noise). I'm not saying that you must avoid a live region, but maybe you don't need it? Or at least you might want to consider limiting the announcements so they aren't too noisy as a person types. Determining where the line between helpful and annoying probably comes down to user testing, if you can do that. The chief exception is when there are no results; in this case a live region announcing “no matches” (or similar) seems more important.

In the case of filtering content with a search, I recommend Scott O'Hara's recent article, "Considering dynamic search results and content”.

https://www.scottohara.me/blog/2022/02/05/dynamic-results.html



On Feb 21, 2022, at 3:12 AM, Mark Magennis < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >> wrote:

You mentioned suggestions there Don. That sounds like an autocomplete search field that pops up a listbox containing suggested searches that match your input. The number of suggestions changes as you type and although there is no visible message saying how many it contains, it is visually apparent and it is informative so it makes sense to use a live region to give a feedback message such as "10 suggestions". When the number of matches changes, the message will automatically be read again - "8 suggestions", "3 suggestions", etc.

From: Don Mauck
Date: Tue, Feb 22 2022 6:54AM
Subject: Re: Search result notifications - Screen readers
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Thanks.

From: WebAIM-Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > On Behalf Of Kevin Prince
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2022 7:15 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: [External] : Re: [WebAIM] Search result notifications - Screen readers

Not a screen reader user myself but yes to both. As a proxy for 'results found' I'd accept focus on the first result at a push but I'd actually expect to hear that "x results found" and then I knew the magnitude.

Kevin Prince
Kevin Prince
Product Accessibility & Usability Consultant

Foster Moore
A Teranet Company

E = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Christchurch
fostermoore.com<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.fostermoore.com/__;!!ACWV5N9M2RV99hQ!ZWaQXGgcpAHMNz4FMZhsbJxofc8cVkTZMieBOBgvPjW0JKf012EerllKvBOGzl0$>

From: Priti Rohra
Date: Wed, Feb 23 2022 4:04AM
Subject: Re: Search result notifications - Screen readers
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I would prefer number of results or no results found being announced.
If the number is not announced give screen reader users an indication
that suggestions are available. This can be in the form of
- First suggestion being announced
Has popup being announced
- Suggestions are available hidden text being announced ...

Else blind users or those with low vision who rely heavily on screen
readers will not even be aware that they have choices to pick from.

Always BPositive!
Priti Rohra


On 2/22/22, Don Mauck < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Thanks.
>
> From: WebAIM-Forum < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > On Behalf Of Kevin
> Prince
> Sent: Monday, February 21, 2022 7:15 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Subject: [External] : Re: [WebAIM] Search result notifications - Screen
> readers
>
> Not a screen reader user myself but yes to both. As a proxy for 'results
> found' I'd accept focus on the first result at a push but I'd actually
> expect to hear that "x results found" and then I knew the magnitude.
>
> Kevin Prince
> Kevin Prince
> Product Accessibility & Usability Consultant
>
> Foster Moore
> A Teranet Company
>
> E = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Christchurch
> fostermoore.com<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.fostermoore.com/__;!!ACWV5N9M2RV99hQ!ZWaQXGgcpAHMNz4FMZhsbJxofc8cVkTZMieBOBgvPjW0JKf012EerllKvBOGzl0$>
>
>

From: Don Mauck
Date: Wed, Feb 23 2022 5:45AM
Subject: Re: [External] :Search result notifications - Screen readers
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Thank you for your feedback.