RE: Is the escape key sufficient as a method for WCAG 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap

Greg,

Who cares whether it passes xyz? As a screen reader user, tabbing through items in either a menu or list is the wrong pattern especially if it's something I am doing over and over again like at work. 

If I can highlight an option using arrow keys, and then tab out of the listbox and onto the next field or button, then I have saved a heap of repetitive strain injury ... 

There is an unfortunate trend in web design and development that believes tabbing is the appropriate means of navigating long lists. For example, a WordPress global navigation menu. What happens if I need to get to the very last item in the very last menu over and over? That's right - tab, tab, tab, tab, tab tab ... arrow key navigation is much more efficient and saves my brain and my joints.

The model for menus is common operating systems - there's no reason why the web has to be different (except for poor design, development, and rubbish accessibility support!).




-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Jellin <greg@gregjellin.com> 
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2022 9:52 AM
To: Wai-Ig <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: Is the escape key sufficient as a method for WCAG 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap

I'm dealing with a combobox that presents a list of options
(role=listbox) after the user types a few characters.

Once the listbox is present, if the user tabs, focus moves through each item. Once reaching the end of the visible list, focus cycles through the list from the beginning. The user can not escape the listbox via tab or arrows.

The user can escape the component via the escape key (collapses the listbox and the user can continue tabbing through the page) or by deleting the text entered into the input.

Is this sufficient to pass 2.1.2 No keyboard trap? I would argue that the escape key meets the "other standard exit method" part of the SC.

Thanks in advance!

Greg

Received on Monday, 12 December 2022 23:48:06 UTC