HTML5 implementor feedback requested - title attribute accessibility mapping

Hi Adrian, Maciej, Anne and David
(note: if there is a more approriate implementor representative this
email should go to please advise)

Your feedback on this would be appreciated.

The title attribute as implemented (in all browsers that implement
accessibility support) is mapped to the accessible name in all
accessibility APIs in all browsers (that implement mapping), so in the
absence of other labelling mechanisms, all HTML form controls are
labelled by the title attribute content if present. The same goes for
most other HTML elements. This reality is not reflected in the usage
advice in the spec.

There is a WCAG technique that documents how to use the title
attribute to label controls: H65: Using the title attribute to
identify form controls when the label element cannot be used
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/H65

There is another WCAG 2.0 technique that documents how to use the
title attribute to identify frame and iframe elements
H64: Using the title attribute of the frame and iframe elements
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG-TECHS/H64.html

The HTML5 specification does not provide any advice on how the title
attribute content is used (as detailed above).
I filed a bug https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=14740

the rationale provided by the HTML5 editor for its rejection:

"Rationale: If browsers map it in a manner inconsistent with its meaning, that
should be fixed."

Do any implementors have any plans to change the current
implementation in browsers to match the HTML5 specification meaning?

i.e. are there any plans to stop mapping the title attribute to the
accessible name in accessibility APIs? So that it does not provide a
label for controls and other elements?


with regards
Stevef

Received on Monday, 12 December 2011 11:55:49 UTC