[Bug 12243] Warn when ARIA-describedby/-labelledby points to interactive/form associated content

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=12243

--- Comment #3 from Leif Halvard Silli <xn--mlform-iua@xn--mlform-iua.no> 2011-03-22 06:43:59 UTC ---
SUMMARY: It is correct to, in HTML5, treat ARIA 1.0 as it is specced.

DISCUSSION:
a)  There is an idea about a @aria-descriedAT for pointing to external sources:

http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Verbose_desc_reqs#Use_aria-describedby_for_internal_description_references_and_create_aria-describedat_for_external_description_references

b) If a change of aria-describedby is wanted, then the appropriate thing to do
would be to file a bug against ARIA 1.0. 


c) Nevertheless, here is a short exploration of the idea to use
aria-describedby to present links to the user:

In ARIA, @aria-describedby is made use of in the main step of the 'accessible
name computation', namely in the socalled 'text alternative computation'. 

http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria/complete#textalternativecomputation

And the presentation of links or other markup element semantics, is not part of
the text alternative computation step. In the text alternative computation
step, the idrefs of the current element's aria-describedby is just one of many
places were the text alternative could be taken from.

It seems *another* step is needed if in order to use it as link. However, my
personal view is that it would be better to then add something like a
@aria-describedAT because 

   1) by the mere opportunity to use an describedbAT attribute [perhaps the
name could be improved - would @aria-href be better?], authors would not so
easily suffer from the possible confusion - that you mention - that pointing to
the link via aria-labelledby or -describedby could achieve the same thing. One
would then see that there is an attribute for links and use that attribute.

   2) links need to be added consciously - it is no guarantee that the
aria-describedby idrefs that happens to point to a anchor elements really
*would* serve well as links. (And while aria-describedby can have several
idrefs in its value, I am not sure that it would be useful if
@aria-describedAT/@aria-href were able to take more than one URL.

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Received on Tuesday, 22 March 2011 06:44:02 UTC