[Bug 10484] New: default roles for figcaption and caption: Make it simple to achieve accessibility

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10484

           Summary: default roles for figcaption and caption: Make it
                    simple to achieve accessibility
           Product: HTML WG
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: All
               URL: http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/content-models#annotation
                    s-for-assistive-technology-products-aria
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: HTML5 spec (editor: Ian Hickson)
        AssignedTo: ian@hixie.ch
        ReportedBy: xn--mlform-iua@xn--mlform-iua.no
         QAContact: public-html-bugzilla@w3.org
                CC: mike@w3.org, public-html@w3.org
        Depends on: 10066


GOAL: Make <table> and <figure> simple to use in a accessible way, by defining
simple and logical role mappings for <caption> and <figcaption>.

REQUEST: 

   EITHER: set the default role of <figcaption> and <caption> to heading (same
as for <summary>). 

   OR – PERHAPS BETTER: set the default role of  figcaption/caption as
"heading", _on the condition_ that the parent <figure>/<table> element has a
role that makes this logical.  A lists of roles needs to be specified. But  for
example, with <figure role="img"> or <figure role="note">, then it should be
logical that <figcaption> defaults to role="heading". Same for <table>, if it
has role="grid" or "treegrid", then  it is logical that <caption> has
role="heading". 

The goal is that user agents, once they support <figure>,<table> and ARIA, do
not have to relyl on authors using aria-labelledby in order to identify the
caption. 

Accessibility through minimum effort should be favored:

Minimum effort = no _need_ (in supporting UAs) to use a aria-labelledby to
identify the caption. (ARIA 1.0 has a SHOULD about this, however, I perceive
that as a best practise rule.) All that should be needed, is to a) use
<figcaption>/<caption> and b) give the parent element (figure/table) a role
that automatically makes the captioning element be seen as having
role="heading".

Maximum effort = need to identify the caption via aria-labelledby, despite that
it is obvious that the <caption>/<figcaption> captions the parent element.

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Received on Sunday, 29 August 2010 00:55:06 UTC