Re: role=toolbar should become landmark role in ARIA 1.1

I’m neutral on the idea, leaning slightly towards opposition. 

The reason is primarily because this seems like user interface issue, and not relevant to the API. This should be a decision for each user agent or assistive technology, not a standards group. If your goal is quick navigation to toolbars, you could also approach the issue by filing enhancement requests to the UA/AT vendors.

I should note I’ve seen a few examples of toolbar-itis, where excessive toolbars would negatively affect a landmark navigation experience.



> On Jul 1, 2015, at 12:49 AM, Schnabel, Stefan <stefan.schnabel@sap.com> wrote:
> 
> All,
>  
> I’d like to hear opinions on the subject of this post.
>  
> We often encounter the situation that toolbars in business applications running in the web are stuffed with functions (10+ buttons, combos etc.)
>  
> For ease of access, it would be desirable to use landmark navigation features built in in user agents and assistive technology to directly navigate to the toolbars.
>  
> The classy approach is to “wrap” a div with role toolbar in another div with e.g. role=region labelled for instance “tools” and then to proceed navigation to the inner content.
> But this “costs” an additional parent DOM node and is therefore often subject of discussion with Web UI performance groups wanting the leanest DOM possible.
>  
> Another proposal is to provide access keys to buttons inside using the (buggy) access key mechanism or even to provide custom JS for keyboard navigation.
>  
> Having role=toolbar as a landmark role in ARIA 1.1 would avoid wrapping and ease navigation to functions without additional effort from authoring side.
>  
> Thoughts?
>  
> Best Regards
> Stefan
>  
>  
> Dr. Stefan Schnabel
> Senior User Experience Design Specialist
> P&I Customer Innovation & Services
> ASCOT – Standards Excellence
>  
> SAP SE | Dietmar-Hopp-Allee 16 | 69190 Walldorf, Germany
> T: +49 (6227) 7-65652 F: +49 (6227) 78-29877
> mailto:stefan.schnabel@sap.com W: www.sap.com
>  
> Sitz der Gesellschaft/Registered Office: Walldorf, Germany
> Vorstand/SAP Executive Board: Bill McDermott
> Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats/Chairperson of the SAP Supervisory Board: Hasso Plattner
> Registergericht/Commercial Register Mannheim No HRB 350269
>  
> Diese E-Mail kann Betriebs- oder Geschäftsgeheimnisse oder sonstige vertrauliche Informationen enthalten. Sollten Sie diese E-Mail irrtümlich erhalten haben, ist Ihnen eine Kenntnisnahme des Inhalts, eine Vervielfältigung oder Weitergabe der E-Mail ausdrücklich untersagt.
> Bitte benachrichtigen Sie uns und vernichten Sie die empfangene E-Mail. Vielen Dank.
>  
> This e-mail may contain trade secrets or privileged, undisclosed, or otherwise confidential information. If you have received this e-mail in error, you are hereby notified that any review, copying, or distribution of it is strictly prohibited. Please inform us immediately and destroy the original transmittal. Thank you for your cooperation.
>  
> Please consider the impact on the environment before printing this e-mail.
>