RE: ACTION-1442: Draft spec text for aria-current and aria-currentfor

I was assuming we need only:

<div id="nav">
  <button>1</button>
  <button aria-current="true">2</button>
  <button>3</button>
</div>

I do not understand what currentfor would do for end users. In the above 
example, "2" is the button representing the currently displayed content. 
Pressing it again, if it is not also disabled, would refresh that content.

My expectation is that this would be used when there is a visual 
difference associated with button 2 that communicates the same message 
(this is the currently shown content).

Screen readers may choose to translate the state into strings like 
"Currently Displayed" or "Now showing" or something to that effect.

A completely different approach would be to allow authors to include a 
string like:
aria-current="Current Step" or aria-current="Displayed Page".
While more flexible, and while it gives authors more control over what is 
communicated, it comes with risks.

Matt King
IBM Senior Technical Staff Member
I/T Chief Accessibility Strategist
IBM BT/CIO - Global Workforce and Web Process Enablement 
Phone: (503) 578-2329, Tie line: 731-7398
mattking@us.ibm.com



From:   Léonie Watson <LWatson@PacielloGroup.com>
To:     "'Alexander Surkov'" <surkov.alexander@gmail.com>, 
Cc:     "'W3C WAI Protocols & Formats'" <public-pfwg@w3.org>
Date:   11/06/2014 01:30 PM
Subject:        RE: ACTION-1442: Draft spec text for aria-current and 
aria-currentfor



Alexander Surkov wrote:
“Do I understand that typical scenario of this attribute looks the 
following way:
<div id="nav">
  <button aria-current="false" aria-currentfor="nav">1</button>
  <button aria-current="true" aria-currentfor="nav">2</button>
  <button aria-current="undefined">3</button>
</div>
If so then aria-current="undefined" dupes aria-currentfor, or do you 
consider the scenario when UA fixes missed aria-currentfor?”
 
Good question. My understanding is that aria-currentfor would only be 
needed on the element with aria-current – to setup the scope for the 
currently indicated item.
 
So in your example buttons 1 and 3 would not have their state indicated, 
but button 2 would be identified as the current item within the scoping 
container/div.
 
 
Léonie.
 
 
-- 
Senior Accessibility Engineer, TPG
@LeonieWatson @PacielloGroup