RE: Semantic implications of tabindex="0"?

Typically things that are focusable have some interactive behavior.

The use of “tabindex” to make natively non-interactive elements like DIV and SPAN interactive (e.g. keyboard focusable) is the basis of how ARIA technology allows developers to create keyboard accessibility widgets using ARIA technology.

http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria/usage#managingfocus


http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices/#focus_tabindex


Jon


From: karlgroves@gmail.com [mailto:karlgroves@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Karl Groves
Sent: Tuesday, January 7, 2014 4:13 PM
To: Mike Elledge
Cc: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: Re: Semantic implications of tabindex="0"?

Mike,
Natively tabbable items are a[href], area[href], button, input, object, select, and textarea. HTML5 adds menuitem.  IOW, things people can interact with.
Consequently, if focus arrives on something the assumption on the part of the user is likely to be "I can act on this.".   In fact when an element that is not focusable by default has a tabindex="0" (most elements that have no mapping), the element is mapped as 'editable text' in MSAA.  As a consequence, JAWS will read "editable" for the following  <h1 tabindex="0">Some heading</h1>

On Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 4:27 PM, Mike Elledge <melledge@yahoo.com<mailto:melledge@yahoo.com>> wrote:
Hi All--

I have a question I hope you can answer. In reading about tabindex="0" it seems as if there are no limits to its application to non-focusable elements. I wonder, however, when it makes the most sense to use it. For example, are there assumptions that users will have based on the traditional targets of tabbing (i.e., form fields and links)?

Any thoughts on this?

Many thanks,

Mike Elledge



--

Karl Groves
www.karlgroves.com<http://www.karlgroves.com>
@karlgroves
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves

Phone: +1 410.541.6829