ACTION-2069: Revised separator role ready for review

For action 2069, a revised proposal for addressing issue 1028 is now ready
for review.

 

Issue 1028[1] description:

 

The separator role is a structure. Screen readers render elements with role
separator in the same way that the HTML HR element is rendered. Thus, screen
readers regard separators as static, not interactive. 

 

Yet, the description of the separator role says that a separator may be a
movable splitter that divides parts of a window. So, the APG Window splitter
pattern states that the separator role should be used for an interactive
window splitter.

 

If you make a focusable, interactive window splitter and give it the
separator role, it will not be operable with screen readers because they
will not recognize a separator as interactive and neding to consume keys
like arrows, home, and end.

 

Revised proposal based on discussion in May 19 meeting:

 

1. Add widget as a superclass of separator so it is both a widget and a
structure. This is how ARIA 1.0 describes it, but ARIA 1.0 omitted explicit
declaration of the widget superclass.

 

2. Add languatge explaining that a separator that is not focusable is a
static structure while a separator that is focusable is an interactive
widget.

 

Action 2069[2] is to create a proposal for addressing issue 1028. 

 

The proposal is  now in the action2069-separator branch[3]. 

 

The proposal is now primarily an editorial revision of the ARIA 1.0 language
with the addition of normative language for authors and a proposal to add
support for aria-valuenow for variable separators.

 

In branch action2069-separator:

* added text explaining the two types of separators: structures and widgets.

* Separator is now described as a structure if it is not focusable.

* Add a normative statement explaining that authors MAY make a separator
focusable and that if they do, it will be recognized by assistive
technologies as an interactive widget.

* Added normative statement saying authors MAY use aria-expanded to describe
the state of a separator (this is not a change from ARIA 1.0).

* Added normative statement saying authors MAY use aria-valuenow to describe
the state of a variable separator widget (new for ARIA 1.1).

* added text describing an example of a variable separator.

* Added widget as a superclass (consistent with what was implied in ARIA
1.0).

* Added statement that aria-expanded is supported only if the separator is
focusable (consistent with ARIA 1.0).

* Listed aria-valuenow, aria-valuemin, and aria-valuemax as supported
properties for variable separator widgets (new for ARIA 1.1).

 

References:

[1] Issue 1028: https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/track/issues/1028

[2] Action 2069: https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/track/actions/2069

[3] RawGit view of proposal:
http://rawgit.com/w3c/aria/action2069-separator/aria/aria.html#separator