[Understanding and Techniques Feedback] SC 2.1.1, Keyboard

Hello w3,

I’m writing with feedback on SC 2.1.1, Keyboard<https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/keyboard.html#intent>. I’d like to comment on the following text:

Note

Platforms and user agents usually have conventions for how web content or applications are controlled with a keyboard interface. If content does not follow the platform/user agent conventions it may be difficult to use, as users will need to learn different interaction methods. As a best practice, content should follow the platform/user agent conventions. However, deviating from these conventions does not fail the normative requirement of this success criterion.

I’ve encountered several custom elements lately where arrow keys are used to expand/open content. For example, an <input> with type=“text” that a user cannot type into, and where the user must open a date picker using the down arrow key while focused on the <input>. I’d assert that using the down arrow key to access the date picker is not an apparent interaction method, especially if the user is not informed of that behavior.

In response to the scenario I just described, a developer could point to the text I copied above and say “WCAG says this isn’t a failure.” Is that the intended outcome here? I understand that having to get used to a custom interaction method is not an accessibility barrier. But what if the different interaction method is so unintuitive that some users won’t know what to do? I’d appreciate a change to this note stating that a custom interaction method could constitute a failure of the normative requirement if the method is not apparent.

Thanks for any thoughts on this,

Casey Hickey