[Bug 12709] New: @accesskey: Require user agents to hide accesskeys on unfocusable elements

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=12709

           Summary: @accesskey: Require user agents to hide accesskeys on
                    unfocusable elements
           Product: HTML WG
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: PC
               URL: http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/editing#the-accesskey-att
                    ribute
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Keywords: a11y
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P3
         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-wg-issue-tracking@w3.org,
                    public-html@w3.org


PROPOSAL:

Let the specification state that user agents should not reveal to users
accesskeys that are added to elements which are not focusable or specially
focusable.

For instance, if @accesskey is added to a non-interactive element  were there
isn't any @tabindex or anything else that makes the element (specially)
focusable, then @accesskey is pointless and even potentially harmful/confusing
to users.

JUSTIFICATION - USERS:

If an element has the @accesskey, without having any effect that at least some
users can observe, then it is only confusing to users when they activate such
accesskeys and nothing happens. Such experiences may also make users not trust
its positive effects and thus ignored it when it works.

EVIDENCE THAT AUTHORS MAKE THIS KIND OF MISTAKE:

  In W3C's online mailinglist archives, accesskey="j" is attached to an
unfocusable anchor element (without @href attribute): [*]

 <a name="start295" accesskey="j" id="start295"></a>
 [*] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2011Apr/0295

NOTES: This user agent requirement related bug is a little bit related to the
authoring related bug 12708.

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Received on Friday, 20 May 2011 02:40:12 UTC