Re: Urgent Need for a Standardized Multi-Select Component

Kristjan,

I second your motion.  A dropdown list with checkboxes would be better,
something of minimum size that allows single and multiple selection, or
something new entirely.  There are probably other elements of the web
platform that need redesigning as well, but this I think is a priority.
That was 2c well spent.

Sincerely,

Richard Dunne B.Sc.



On Fri, 22 Aug 2025 at 16:29, Kristjan Kure <kristjan.kure.1@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear HTML Working Group,
>
> It is astonishing that *after more than two decades of web evolution*,
> developers still do not have access to a standardized, modern, and
> accessible multi-select component in HTML.
>
> The existing <select multiple> element is outdated, unintuitive, and
> inadequate for real-world needs. For years, developers have been forced to
> rely on third-party libraries such as Tom Select
> <https://tom-select.js.org/>, Select2, Chosen, and countless others -
> reimplementing the same functionality over and over. This situation has
> persisted for far too long, creating unnecessary fragmentation,
> inconsistent user experiences, and repeated accessibility shortcomings
> across the web.
>
> The demand for a native solution is undeniable:
>
>    - Every major design system and framework has built its own version of
>    a searchable, taggable, accessible multi-select.
>    - External libraries collectively serve millions of developers, yet
>    all are workarounds for a missing standard.
>    - Accessibility remains inconsistent, despite decades of awareness,
>    because the burden falls on third-party solutions rather than being
>    addressed at the platform level.
>
> How many years must pass before the web platform offers such a fundamental
> and widely needed component? The absence of a proper multi-select
> undermines the very goals of interoperability, inclusivity, and
> accessibility that the W3C stands for.
>
> *I urge the consortium to take immediate steps toward defining and
> implementing a modern multi-select component as part of the web platform*.
> The community has already proven its necessity through countless parallel
> efforts. It is time for the standard itself to meet this longstanding
> demand.
>
> Respectfully, but firmly,
>
> Kristjan Kure
>
> <https://tom-select.js.org/>
>
>