ARIA Serious? 2018

Eric Eggert

AccessU 2018 · May 2018

http://slides.com/yatil/2018-05-accessu-aria-serious

Eric Eggert

Web Accessibility Specialist @

Knowbility (Assessments, Teaching)

50% W3C Fellow → WAI/EOWG

📍

Important Note:


This presentation contains ARIA examples that are preventing websites and applications from being accessible.

 

 

Don’t copy & paste mindlessly.

WAI-ARIA:

Accessible Rich

Internet Applications

Internet Applications

ARIA ≠ 🧙‍♀️

No
aria-make-accessible="true"

To ARIA or not to ARIA?

5 Rules of ARIA (according to Notes on Using ARIA in HTML)

First Rule of ARIA use

If you can use a native HTML5 element or attribute with the semantics and behaviour you require already built in, instead of re-purposing an element and adding an ARIA role, state or property to make it accessible, then do so.

Second Rule of ARIA use

Do not change native semantics, unless you really have to .

Example

<!-- (BAD) -->
<h1 role="button">heading button</h1>
<!-- (GOOD!) -->
<h1><button>heading button</button></h1>

Example

Third Rule of ARIA use

All interactive ARIA controls must be usable with the keyboard.

Example

If using role=button the element must be able to receive focus and a user must be able to activate the action associated with the element using both the enter (on WIN OS) or return (MAC OS) and the space key.

Fourth Rule of ARIA use

Do not use role="presentation" or aria-hidden="true" on a visible focusable element.

Fifth Rule of ARIA use

All interactive elements must have an accessible name.

ARIA support

Heydon Pickering:

aria-controls is 💩

Blog Post

WAI ARIA is really Complicated!

Also complicated for web developers!

Exhibit 1 – Bad!

 
<a id="airline-logo" href="…"
   class="logo"
   aria-label="Airline Name">
   &nbsp;
</a>

Exhibit 1 – Good!

<a id="logo" href="…">
   <img src="…" alt="Airline Name">
</a>
<a id="logo" href="…">
   <svg>
     <title>Airline Name</title>
     …
   </svg>
</a>

Exhibit 2 – Bad!

<div class="nav">
    <a href="javascript:void(0);"
       class="navInactive"
       role="button">
        <span class="hiddenText">Slide 1</span>
    </a>
    <a href="javascript:void(0);"
       class="navActive"
       role="button">
        <span class="hiddenText">Slide 2</span>
    </a>
    <a href="javascript:void(0);"
       class="navInactive"
       role="button">
        <span class="hiddenText">Slide 3</span>
    </a>
</div>

Exhibit 2 – Good!

<nav>
    <button
       aria-selected="false"
       aria-label="Slide 1">
       &nbsp;
    </button>
    <button
       aria-selected="true"
       aria-label="Slide 2">
       &nbsp;        
    </button>
    <button
       aria-selected="false"
       aria-label="Slide 4">
       &nbsp;
    </button>
</nav>
<nav>
    <button
       aria-selected="false">
       <img src="…" alt="Slide 1">
    </button>
    <button
       aria-selected="true">
       <img src="…" alt="Slide 2">
    </button>
    <button
       aria-selected="false">
       <img src="…" alt="Slide 3">
    </button>
</nav>

Exhibit 3 – Bad!

<th 
   tabindex="0" 
   role="button" 
   aria-label="Sort column"
>Name</th>

Exhibit 3a – Bad!

Exhibit 4 – Bad!*

<span 
  aria-hidden="true" 
  role="img" 
  class="icon">
</span>

*Actually not harmful,

but really, what is the point?!

Exhibit 5 – Really Bad!

<body aria-hidden="true">

Exhibit 6 – Bad!

<a 
  href="…" 
  target="_blank" 
  title="Click here to 
         view the video." 
  tabindex="-1" 
  role="button" 
  aria-label="External link"
></a>

Conclusion

✅ Landmarks
✅ States & Properties
⚠️ (Widget) Roles — 

Mind the Keyboard