This is an archived snapshot of W3C's public bugzilla bug tracker, decommissioned in April 2019. Please see the home page for more details.
The current proposed IA2 mapping for the ARIA "note" role is IA2_ROLE_NOTE. [1] IA2_ROLE_NOTE is for an embedded note which is not visible until activated. [2] However, the ARIA "note" role represents a section whose content is parenthetic or ancillary to the main content of the resource.[3] The ARIA "note" role is also the default implied role for the HTML <aside> element, which represents a section of a page that consists of content that is tangentially related to the content around the aside element, and which could be considered separate from that content. [4] A more appropriate IA2 mapping for ARIA "note" would be IA2_ROLE_SECTION, a container of document content that may be used as a region or group of elements that together form a perceivable unit. [5] Mapping the "note" role to IA2_ROLE_SECTION would be consistent with the proposed ROLE_SECTION (ATK/AT-SPI) mapping for the <aside> element. [6] See also Bug 16633 - [AAPI]: "aside" mapping firefox. [7] [1] http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/aria-implementation/#mapping_role_table [2] http://accessibility.linuxfoundation.org/a11yspecs/ia2/docs/html/_accessible_role_8idl.html#e37ff81431ee3762a5d41a2cb909108daec490b192bd57535e3310282bb7ba01 [3] http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/aria/roles#note [4] http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/the-aside-element.html#the-aside-element [5] http://accessibility.linuxfoundation.org/a11yspecs/ia2/docs/html/_accessible_role_8idl.html#e37ff81431ee3762a5d41a2cb909108d7723b5d0895f8a53121b5282b15bd502 [6] http://dvcs.w3.org/hg/html-api-map/raw-file/tip/Overview.html#el-8 [7] https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=16633
The IA2 doc was supposed to be updated - wasn't it? (See https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=610362#c11)
Jason, it is a good catch but my understanding is that the IAccessible2 role definition for note will be officially updated (and has been updated in practice). See related thread here: http://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/accessibility-ia2/2010-November/thread.html#1262 Please reopen if you have concerns.
(I've pinged Pete Brunet to confirm)
Thanks, David. I'm reopening because, from what I can tell based on the message at [1], the decision was to change the definition of IA2_ROLE_NOTE, as well as to add a new role, IA2_ROLE_COMPLEMENTARY_CONTENT, that would be used for the aside element. In the presumably still pending version 1.2.1 of the IA2 spec [2], the definition for IA2_ROLE_NOTE has not been updated, although there is a new constant IA2_ROLE_COMPLEMENTARY_CONTENT, so edits to the spec have been made. Note that the conversation regarding changes to the definitions took place late 2010, and the last edits to the IA2 spec seem to have occurred around January 2011. [1] http://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/accessibility-ia2/2010-November/001261.html [2] http://accessibility.linuxfoundation.org/a11yspecs/ia2/docs/html/_accessible_role_8idl.html
See comment on related bug 16633 under HTML a11y APIs [1]. The latest version of the IA2 spec [2] still defines the IA2_ROLE_NOTE as "An embedded note which is not visible until activated." It has introduced a new role, IA2_ROLE_COMPLEMENTARY_CONTENT, which seems appropriate for the complementary role. IA2_ROLE_SECTION, at this point in time, given the state of the IA2 spec, would still seem to be the appropriate role mapping for role note. [1] https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=16633#c5 [2] http://accessibility.linuxfoundation.org/a11yspecs/ia2/docs/html/_accessible_role_8idl.html#e37ff81431ee3762a5d41a2cb909108d
I'm not sure what the actual harm in exposing role="note" as IA2_ROLE_NOTE is?
(In reply to comment #6) > I'm not sure what the actual harm in exposing role="note" as IA2_ROLE_NOTE > is? Practically for browsers and AT, I'm not sure. I think there is some harm for people trying to understand the spec and its implementation in browsers, by applying an IA2 role to an object that doesn't meet the definition for that role. Did you ever hear back from Pete Brunet? Updating the definition for IA2_ROLE_NOTE would also solve this issue, but so far it doesn't look like that's on the table, despite the conversation from two years ago.
I didn't hear back yet. Will ping him again. I'd be sad not mapping note to note.
I sent an email to Pete's gmail address. I'd like to reserve IA2_ROLE_COMPLEMENTARY_CONTENT for role=aside.
Ping offered to change the spec and I accepted but I need to close the loop to make sure it happened... pinged him again.
The last note I have from Pete: "David, On Nov 24, 2010 you proposed new text for IA2_ROLE_NOTE, i.e. "A section whose content is parenthetic or ancillary to the main content of the resource." I didn't see any followup that disagreed with that"
Fix coming in IA2 spec wording via Pete.
(In reply to comment #12) > Fix coming in IA2 spec wording via Pete. Looks like the fix has been applied in IA2 version 1.3 [1], so bug can be closed IMO. [1] http://accessibility.linuxfoundation.org/a11yspecs/ia2/docs/html/_accessible_role_8idl.html#ae37ff81431ee3762a5d41a2cb909108daaec490b192bd57535e3310282bb7ba01
Fixed in spec. Thanks all.