Re: Is it okay to apply "menubar" role, ... etc and related keyboard shortcuts to the main navigation?

Hi Joe

Thanks for the example and reference. So except for minor issues with NVDA,
it is still quite beneficial to do this to the navigation
(role="navigation").

Thank you,
Ian

2012/7/3 Joe Chidzik <joe.chidzik@abilitynet.org.uk>
>
> *[Joe Chidzik] *
>
> *Hi Ian, the IBM site uses this approach on the main navigation menu. As
> a sighted user, I find it beneficial to be able to arrow through menus,
> rather than tab linearly through a long chain of links. In addition, I
> found the menu easy to navigate using the JAWS screenreader as well; it was
> announced as a toolbar, with the links below announced as menu items.
> Testing with NVDA just caused the main menu items to be read out as
> “buttons”, and the menu items as “links”, but it was still quite usable –
> though less intuitively so. *
>
> * *
>
> *The only issue with this is that using the arrow keys can represent
> non-standard, or unexpected behaviour for users. Steve Faulkner responded
> to a query I had on this topic, and said “A possible method to overcome the
> unfamiliarity is to provide pseudo tooltip [2] that is displayed when the
> first item receives focus. this can be used to include brief instructions
> to the user such as "use arrow keys to navigate" or some such.” – you can
> read the thread at http://webaim.org/discussion/mail_message?id=20720 *
>
> * *
>
> *Cheers*
>
> *Joe *****
>