Role Web Application and Groups

Hi Folks,
My team needs to design a special group of toggle buttons for a math game.

We are using role=application on the parent containing the group of toggle buttons so we can use arrow keys for navigation within the group of possible answers, and we are using toggle buttons instead of radiobuttons because the selections can be incorrect and then the learner can try again.

I am noticing the loss of toggle button semantics on the buttons with MacOS VoiceOver, though VoiceOver recognizes the elected state and it recognizes a disabled state on the buttons. VoiceOver just never says "toggle button” even though we are using the aria-pressed attribute to create a toggle button.

My question:
When a parent element for a group has role=application and an appropriate aria-roledescription (e.g., “button group”, am I supposed to loose the native role semantics on the elements within the group?

Or is this loss of native semantics on the inner elements just showing the lack of support by the screen reader for the Web Application Role?


Best,
Taliesin




~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Taliesin L. Smith
taliesin.smith@colorado.edu

Inclusive Design Research Specialist
PhET Interactive Simulations
http://phet.colorado.edu/

Department of Physics
University of Colorado, Boulder