role=presentation must not be applied to focusable elements

Hi all,
as per the ARIA spec [1] and implementaion guide [2]

"If an element with a role of presentation is focusable, user agents
MUST ignore the normal effect of the role and expose the element with
implicit native semantics, in order to ensure that the element is both
understandable and operable."

[1]http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/aria/roles#presentation
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-implementation/#mapping_role

I agree with the above, but currently the HTML5 spec allows
role="presentation" on any element (including focusable elements) and
this is how it is implemented in Firefox, chrome and IE, they  apply
the presentation role to focusable elements.

example:
<p><input type="submit" role="presentation"></p>

IE removes the input from the accessibility tree (Cannot get object
from Focus event: [Error: AccessibleObjectFromEvent: hr=0x80004005 -
Unspecified error]) but they are still focusable.
In firefox the input is still focusable and exposes a role of
presentation "Role: "presentation" [ BUG? State/Role should not be a
string ]" (not the same behaviour as for non focusable elements)
In chrome the focus is moved to the parent element the parent element
role is exposed.

I think bugs need to be filed on the browsers and on the HTML5 spec,
anybody disagree?
-- 
with regards

Steve Faulkner
Technical Director - TPG

www.paciellogroup.com | www.HTML5accessibility.com |
www.twitter.com/stevefaulkner
HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text alternatives -
dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/
Web Accessibility Toolbar - www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html

Received on Wednesday, 22 December 2010 10:14:48 UTC