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

Thanks Quentin, you are coming across a bit hangry to be honest. Those 
of us in this field deal with a lot of nuance, structural org issues, 
and host of other difficult challenges. It's generally not super helpful 
to make a lot of assumptions and rant when responding to a genuine 
request for advice. I prefer more constructive methods of communicating, 
much like your last response.

All good and moving forward.

Greg

On 12/12/2022 5:26 PM, Quentin Christensen wrote:
> Greg,
>
> Thanks for the reply.  While I probably need to eat lunch so I'm not 
> hangry, I would reiterate that I didn't intend to come across as 
> attacking you personally.  I appreciate you are analysing the project 
> externally, and I'm glad that you are advocating for useability and 
> accessibility. :)
>
> All the best
>
> Quentin.
>
> On Tue, Dec 13, 2022 at 12:14 PM Greg Jellin <greg@gregjellin.com> wrote:
>
>     Quentin, perhaps you missed the part where I said I agreed and
>     will advocate for the solution Adam proposed. I agree with pretty
>     much everything you said, but there is also the reality of
>     people's positions and reach within an organization. In this case
>     I'm external to the org and have limited reach. That won't stop me
>     from making suggestions with those I have access to.
>
>     On 12/12/2022 5:06 PM, Quentin Christensen wrote:
>>     There is also an unfortunate trend of shaping the argument around
>>     undesirable but "trendy" behaviour in order check off a criteria
>>     on a list rather than actually meeting the user need.
>>
>>     Aiming to meet WCAG compliance is good, but surely you should be
>>     aiming to make the interface USEABLE for the people for whom WCAG
>>     was designed to help.
>>
>>     You've got a direct response from a screen reader user arguing
>>     that whether or not your interface technically meets WCAG, it is
>>     not useable for screen reader users, and your response could be
>>     taken as "my job is to check off a list, not make it work".  And
>>     I appreciate that you personally likely didn't write the
>>     interface and that your job is to check off WCAG compliance on
>>     the project, and I'm not intending to attack you personally. 
>>     BUT, part of that job is also ensuring that the company isn't
>>     flooded with user complaints saying their product is not
>>     accessible - they'll come back to you and say "But you said it
>>     was accessible and met WCAG!".
>>
>>     In fact, representing a screen reader manufacturer myself, I
>>     completely agree with Adam, and would further argue this isn't
>>     even an issue exclusive to screen reader users, but to ALL users
>>     who might try to navigate your list with the keyboard.
>>
>>     Perhaps the question to ask here, is not whether this "solution"
>>     meets WCAG, but going one step further back, and asking why this
>>     interface is needed instead of the standard way of navigating
>>     lists which works across the board, needs no special instruction,
>>     and wouldn't require you to question whether it meets WCAG or not?
>>
>>     Rant over :)
>>
>>     On Tue, Dec 13, 2022 at 10:59 AM greg jellin
>>     <greg@gregjellin.com> wrote:
>>
>>         Great point Adam. Totally agree. Unfortunately, my role on
>>         this task is assessing wcag compliance, however I will
>>         advocate for that solution.
>>
>>         On Mon, Dec 12, 2022, 3:47 PM Adam Cooper
>>         <cooperad@bigpond.com> wrote:
>>
>>             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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>     -- 
>>     Quentin Christensen
>>     Training and Support Manager
>>
>>     Web: www.nvaccess.org <http://www.nvaccess.org/>
>>     Training: https://www.nvaccess.org/shop/
>>     Certification: https://certification.nvaccess.org/
>>     User group: https://nvda.groups.io/g/nvda
>>     Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NVAccess
>>     Twitter: @NVAccess <https://twitter.com/NVAccess>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Quentin Christensen
> Training and Support Manager
>
> Web: www.nvaccess.org <http://www.nvaccess.org/>
> Training: https://www.nvaccess.org/shop/
> Certification: https://certification.nvaccess.org/
> User group: https://nvda.groups.io/g/nvda
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NVAccess
> Twitter: @NVAccess <https://twitter.com/NVAccess>

Received on Tuesday, 13 December 2022 01:39:48 UTC