2.1.4: One-Character Shortcuts: Question About the Third Condition

[Taballe]

Hi,

Checkpoint 2.1.4 states that at least one of three conditions must be met to pass.

The first two are clear, but I am having a hard time understanding the third, which is:

Active only on focus: The keyboard shortcut for a user interface component is only active when that component has focus.

Let's say that I have a 1-character shortcut for a "Zoom in" button. If the shortcut is only active when the button has focus, then why do I need the shortcut at all? I can just trigger the button.

A similar question would apply if I have a menu button whose menu items have 1-character shortcuts. If the shortcuts can only be active when the menu is open and focus is on the menu item, I can just trigger the menu item.

I checked the WCAG definition of "User interface component," but that didn't provide any extra insight.

The page that explains the checkpoint does not have any examples. Could you please update the page with some examples?

Thanks!

[patrickhlauke]

I'll mention that I myself also have trouble actually understanding the purpose and point of that third condition ... if I'm already on a user interface component, what would the point be in then having a shortcut key for it? i might as well just hit Space/Enter/whatever the regular key is that i'd use to activate/operate the user interface component.

There was some discussion ages ago about video players, and whether or not the video player as a whole could count as being a user interface component, so that at least when focus is anywhere in the video player it would be kosher to have single-character shortcuts...but sadly, this doesn't gel with the user interface component definition (as the video player isn't "perceived as a single control").

So yes, I'll join you in your request for someone to clarify what exactly the point of that third condition is, and to give actual examples of what is meant by it...

[patrickhlauke]

Ah, found the issue about video players i was thinking of #1950

[mraccess77]

I think the example might be first letter navigation in a listbox or a drop down box.

[Taballe]

The checkpoint says this:
"This success criterion doesn't affect components such as listboxes and drop-down menus. Although these components contain values (words) that may be selected by one or more character keys, the shortcuts are only active when the components have focus."

So, the default behavior of list boxes and dropdown menus meets that third condition. :) However, when it says that it does not affect them, I'm not sure if that means, "They automatically pass," or "They are excluded by the success criterion."

[detlevhfischer]

However, when it says that it does not affect them, I'm not sure if that means, "They automatically pass," or "They are excluded by the success criterion."

I think it is pretty clear that they meet the third condition, so they pass because they have the current focus. 'not affect' is not well-worded but it won't cause issues?

If the shortcut is only active when the button has focus, then why do I need the shortcut at all? I can just trigger the button.

In your example, a developer may think up a shortcut where the number you type translates into the zoom factor applied, so reduced effort. I guess it could be anything.

[patrickhlauke]

So in the immediate, it'd probably be good to explicitly spell out some of these examples in the understanding.

Thinking further though (as noted in the other discussion as well), I think the idea behind UICs being "perceived as a single control" can start to get wooly when we have compound widgets. For instance, an ARIA-fied toolbar - single focus stop, and once you're on it use cursor keys etc to navigate it. does THAT count as a single UIC? or is it regardless of implementation (focus stops), the fact that a user perceives individual buttons on that toolbar overrides the implementation of it? (I mean in theory, that wouldn't be a bad thing ... why would a series of buttons count as separate UICs if the same buttons but implemented as an ARIA toolbar all of a sudden count as a single UIC). but that's probably a wider discussion on the definition of UICs...