Re: Silent / Hidden Automatically Updating Information

Bruce,
I too strongly feel that this is completely covered by 4.1.2.
If the content is placed off-screen via CSS, then it is not available to sighted users too. In fact it may be discoverable  by screen reader users!
If it is updating content available to all users, then it can  be assigned a landmark (ARIA) or other structural markup (heading tag).
Sailesh Panchang
Work: 703-225-0380 ext 105
Cell 571-344-1765
www.deque.com   



--- On Thu, 1/8/09, Bailey, Bruce <Bailey@Access-Board.gov> wrote:

> From: Bailey, Bruce <Bailey@Access-Board.gov>
> Subject: Silent / Hidden Automatically Updating Information
> To: "WCAG" <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
> Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 9:12 AM
> I am thinking of a situation where a web app form element
> silently fills
> in data elsewhere on the form without explicitly alerting
> the end user.
> Assuming no other problems, like unexpected change of
> context, do we
> have an SC which requires that auto-updating data be
> proactively exposed
> to the end user?
> 
> This is pretty standard AJAX behavior, but it is a problem
> that AT users
> are experiencing disproportionately.  It is altogether too
> easy for a
> user to submit data that may be visually pretty obvious,
> but easy to
> miss when using screen magnification or screen reader
> (since the
> automatically updated information is hidden off screen or
> made silent by
> default by purposeful design).
> 
> I am thinking maybe we missed this, since some aspect of
> the behavior is
> often desirable.  Do we have something documented about
> this as far as
> best practices go?
> 
> SC 2.2.2 (which is actually in the Enough Time GL 2.2) is
> pretty much a
> requirement for the opposite behavior.
> 
> Updated information which does not interrupt the end-user
> would not
> violate 3.2.1 On Focus or 3.2.2 On Input.
> 
> Being able to review a form for changes is required by
> 4.1.2 Name, Role,
> Value -- but there might be no indication that reviewing
> the form is
> warranted!
> 
> Arguably, leaving out details that a form has automatically
> updated
> fields violates <q>instructions are provided when
> content requires user
> input</q> (3.3.2 Labels or Instructions) but that
> feels *very* tenuous
> to me.
> 
> It is fine if I have just created an action item for
> myself, but then
> where would be the home for such a best practice advisory?

Received on Thursday, 8 January 2009 22:23:34 UTC