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PROPOSAL: Let the specification state that conformance checkers should stamp it an error - or at least issue a warning - whenever @accesskey is added to an element where it obviously has no effect. For instance, if @accesskey is added to a non-interactive element were there isn't any @tabindex or anything else that makes the element focusable, then @accesskey is pointless and even potentially harmful/confusing to users. JUSTIFICATION - AUTHORS: * It will save authors from pointless coding, including - dare I say - "cargo cult" accessibility coding, if such elements are stamped as invalid or at least triggers a warning. * It will guide authors to use @accesskey in a way that creates the effect that they want, if "dead" @accesskey usage is stamped as an error. JUSTIFICATION - USERS: If an element has the @accesskey, without having any effect that at least some users can observe, then it is only confusing to users when they activate such accesskeys and nothing happens. Such experiences may also make users not trust its positive effects and thus ignored it when it works. JUSTIFICATION- USER AGENTS: The spec fails to require that user agents do not list "dead" (non-working) accesskeys to unfocusable elements to users. Therefore, it is necessary to issue a warning/error message in validators, in order to minimize the problem that auhors provide accesskeys which are without any effect and which, thus, only would confuse users if they are presented for them. EVIDENCE THAT AUTHORS MAKE THIS KIND OF MISTAKE: In W3C's online mailinglist archives, accesskey="j" is attached to an unfocusable anchor element (without @href attribute): [*] <a name="start295" accesskey="j" id="start295"></a> [*] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2011Apr/0295 EVIDENCE THAT USER AGENTS DO NOT HIDE 'dead' ACCESSKEYS: * iCab can reveal access keys - and doesn't hide 'dead' accesskeys. * Opera, when user wants to see the access keys, also lists 'dead' accesskeys NOTES: This conformance checker related bug is a little bit related to the authoring related bug 12708. It also relates to bug 12709, which suggests that user agents should be required to not reveal "dead" accesskeys.
mass-moved component to LC1
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: As far as I can tell, it has an effect on all elements.