Re: A question about immediate feedback

In addition to WCAG 1.4.2 Name, Role , Value (Level A) requirement, 
there is the 1.4.3 Status Messages (Level AA) requirement.

In our research on highly interactive science simulations we have found 
that in addition to complex status messages that describe surrounding 
contextual changes, simple confirmatory status messages are also very 
helpful and desirable by blind learners.

In our description framework, we call "Status Messages" "Context 
Responses." They are very helpful whether simple or complex in 
interactive contexts. I would consider adding a status message for the 
case you are describing.

If you want to read about our description design framework, you can read 
our 2020 CHI paper, Storytelling to Sensemaking: A Systematic Framework 
for Designing Auditory Description Display for Interactives 
<https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3313831.3376460>. In addition, for a 
lot more detail we have created a description design course available on 
Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/description-design-for-interactive-learning-resources 
<description-design-for-interactive-learning-resources>

Best,

Taliesin



On 2025-06-25 15:14, Mike Cleary wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Does a user action like a download need to be confirmed in the 
> immediate aftermath of taking that action? or is it acceptable if the 
> confirmation is consistently announced, albeit after a little navigation?
>
> We have an application where a user clicks a "Download" link on a 
> popup form, and a second popup displays to say the download succeeded 
> or failed. However, screen readers don't read the confirmation popup 
> right away.
> Browsers post their own equivalent popups about the download, which 
> seem to compete for focus. Screen readers read the browser 
> confirmation in Firefox, but don't manage to read those confirmations 
> in Edge or Chrome.
> If the download works, the focus ends up on original Download link 
> (per SC 3.2.2). When that popup form with that link is closed, screen 
> readers always read the popup confirmation next.
>
> Is it a problem that the screen reader doesn't always provide 
> immediate feedback?  Or is WCAG 2.0 satisfied because the screen 
> reader always eventually gets there.
>
> Please advise.
>
> Mike
>
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> *Mike Cleary**(Contractor) | Scrum Master*
>
> *Guidehouse, Inc. *
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> mike.cleary@GrantSolutions.gov <mailto:email@GrantSolutions.gov>
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