This is an archived snapshot of W3C's public bugzilla bug tracker, decommissioned in April 2019. Please see the home page for more details.
QUOTE In the following example, a button has possible access keys described. A script then tries to update the button's label to advertise the key combination the user agent selected. <input type=submit accesskey="N @ 1" value="Compose"> ... <script> function labelButton(button) { if (button.accessKeyLabel) button.value += ' (' + button.accessKeyLabel + ')'; } var inputs = document.getElementsByTagName('input'); for (var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i += 1) { if (inputs[i].type == "submit") labelButton(inputs[i]); } </script> On one user agent, the button's label might become "Compose (⌘N)". On another, it might become "Compose (Alt+⇧+1)". If the user agent doesn't assign a key, it will be just "Compose". The exact string depends on what the assigned access key is, and on how the user agent represents that key combination. UNQUOTE PROBLEM 1: The user should be the ultimate arbiter of which accesskey to apply, not the user agent The exact string depends on which of the suggested access key sets is in use, and upon how the user agent represents the key combinations that comprise that set of accesskeys. PROBLEM 2: there are characters used in the last paragraph that are not exposed when using a screen reader -- in particular: "<samp>Compose (⌘N)</samp>". On another, it might become "<samp>Compose (Alt+⇧+1)</samp>" since the use of special characters constitutes ascii art, the character entities should be glossed using ABBR as follows: "<samp>Compose (<abbr title="Command-Key">⌘</abbr>N)</samp>" "<samp>Compose (Alt+<abbr title="UpArrow">⇧</abbr>+1)</samp>" such extended characters should NOT be used in UA notifications, as the values expressed using symbolic characters will not be read by a screen reader -- it is better for the UA to report "CommandKey+N" and "ALT + UpArrow + 1" PROBLEM 3: currently, the draft states: "If the user agent doesn't assign a key, it will be just "Compose". The exact string depends on what the assigned access key is, and on how the user agent represents that key combination." PROPOSED: If a user has set their user agent to use a specific key or key combination as accesskey modifiers, or if no modifier key has been pre-set as a default by the user agent, the user agent must not assign a specifc key, but simply report "Compose". The exact string depends on what the assigned access key is, and on how the user agent represents that key combination. PROBLEM 4: how does the user notify the script which set of access keys that user wishes to use?
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: Rejected Change Description: no spec change Rationale: Invalid use of bug system. Please only report one issue per bug. Regarding the listed problems: > PROBLEM 1: The user should be the ultimate arbiter of which accesskey > to apply, not the user agent The user agent acts on the user's behalf. It is up to the user agent implementor to ensure that the user's wishes are represented here. > PROBLEM 2: there are characters used in the last paragraph that are > not exposed when using a screen reader -- in particular: > > "<samp>Compose (⌘N)</samp>". On another, it might become > "<samp>Compose (Alt+⇧+1)</samp>" If screen readers do not read these characters to the user then they are buggy and should be fixed. > PROBLEM 3: currently, the draft states: "If the user agent doesn't > assign a key, it will be just "Compose". The exact string depends on > what the assigned access key is, and on how the user agent represents > that key combination." > > PROPOSED: > If a user has set their user agent to use a specific key or key > combination as accesskey modifiers, or if no modifier key has been > pre-set as a default by the user agent, the user agent must not > assign a specifc key, but simply report "Compose". The exact string > depends on what the assigned access key is, and on how the user agent > represents that key combination. I don't understand what the problem is here. > PROBLEM 4: how does the user notify the script which set of access > keys that user wishes to use? The script just gets told by the user agent.
The HTML a11y bug triage sub-team thinks Gregory should file seperate bugs for each of these issues. 10888 would be the master bug for all accesskey related issues.
a11ytf decision to move to HTML.next: http://www.w3.org/2013/10/17-html-a11y-minutes.html#item04 New bug: https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=23611
correction New bug: https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=23612