24274 2014-01-11 22:41:23 +0000 Specify ARIA role of area element with @alt but which do *not* create hyperlinks 2014-03-01 15:50:07 +0000 1 1 1 Unclassified HTML WG HTML5 spec unspecified PC All RESOLVED WORKSFORME http://www.w3.org/html/wg/drafts/html/master/dom.html#sec-strong-native-semantics a11y P3 major --- 1 xn--mlform-iua faulkner.steve faulkner.steve lwatson mike public-html-admin public-html-wg-issue-tracking xn--mlform-iua public-html-bugzilla oldest_to_newest 98289 0 xn--mlform-iua 2014-01-11 22:41:23 +0000 It is currently undefined how an area element with alternative text but without href attribute is treated by AT. Current VoiceOver behavior: In an image map, then *even if* an area element lacks the @href attribute, VoiceOver will announce it as a *link* as long as the area element in question have alternative text. Per my own proposal, an area element without href should be conforming and should be treated as an equivalent of an anchor element without href attribute. This could be useful e.g. to in navigational menus. For instance, if a map is used to link to different counties were “our organisation is represented, a ”dead” area element can be used to explain that an area does is a place were "our organization" is not represented. This can be shown visually, by some text or symbol the image, and could then be represented to AT etc via an area element without href. (See bug 13814 and bug 24273 for use cases.) But regardless of whether this should be conforming or not, the spec should define how area elements that do not create hyperlinks should be announced (if they should be announced at all) to users - should they be treated as having hyperlink role? Or simply as text role or as having aria-hidden="true"? (Btw, it is also not defined what role anchor elements without href attribute have. However, content of anchor element does not rely on attributes for being perceivable by default, thus it is not as obvious that it is needed to be explicit about anchor elements wihtout href as it is for area elements without href.) 98293 1 xn--mlform-iua 2014-01-11 23:00:38 +0000 Btw, as noted in bug 13814, in Firefox, the <area> elements are included in the tabbing order even if the element lacks both @alt and @href. 101699 2 faulkner.steve 2014-03-01 15:50:07 +0000 EDITOR'S RESPONSE: This is an Editor's Response to your comment. If you are satisfied with this response, please change the state of this bug to CLOSED. If you have additional information and would like the Editor to reconsider, please reopen this bug. If you would like to escalate the issue to the full HTML Working Group, please add the TrackerRequest keyword to this bug, and suggest title and text for the Tracker Issue; or you may create a Tracker Issue yourself, if you are able to do so. For more details, see this document: http://dev.w3.org/html5/decision-policy/decision-policy.html Status: works for me Change Description: no change Rationale: role semantics are only specifically defined for a subset of features For any not specifically defined, it is left up to the implementer. role semantics are not defined for non conforming combinations of elements and attributes such as <area alt>.