Screen reader problems with spin boxes

[Becky Gibson]

When using the spinner, the Window-Eyes screen reader speaks the value in the spin box then "question, question". That is because it is trying to speak the up/down arrows which are represented by HTML entities. Try adding waiRole=presentation to the arrow nodes or giving them an empty title (altho I'm not sure if that will work).

[Becky Gibson]

(In [9758]) refs #3793. Fixes window-eyes screen reader speaking question mark for arrow keys when in page review mode. Add waiRole=Presentation and tabindex=-1 to arrows in spinner and combobox templates (need tabindex so browser will use wairole)

[Becky Gibson]

Window-Eyes speaks "question mark" for the arrows in browse-off and browse-on mode. I can fix it in browse on mode by identifying the arrow objects as waiRole="presentation" and also a tabIndex="-1". I need the tabIndex=-1 so Firefox will awknowledge and use the waiRole. I can't find a way to fix it in browse-off mode when you are interacting with the controls. I thought it was using the arrows as the label since labels are not specified in the test_spinner.html file. However, adding the labels and proper id on the input field does not help. I modified the template so that the outer div gets an id="widget_${id} and the input gets id="${id} and tested and all works fine.

JAWS does not speak the question mark for the html entity arrows so I think this may be a Window-Eyes issue since when using MS inspect all of the names and descriptions now look correct. I will submit a bug report to window eyes and keep this open but move to 1.0 as the target.

[Becky Gibson]

(In [9760]) refs #3793 (missed a file on inital checkin) add label elements to spinner controls for better screen reader experience.

[ptbrunet]

Using JAWS (I used JAWS 9 driver 262) navigate down to a spinner in PC Cursor mode. The label is not read. Now press enter to enter Forms mode. I hear "900 edit spin box 900". The data in Inspect looks correct. Seems like a JAWS problem; checking with them. Will check Window-Eyes next.

[ptbrunet]

Using Window-Eyes 6.1 (April 11),

1. When nav to spin box in browse mode hear "spin button" but no value.
2. Pressing enter doesn't exit browse mode. (This might be because a spin button is not control that normally can get focus in Win dialogs.)
3. Exiting browse mode with Ctrl+Shift+A and tabbing to a spin button, hear nothing. (For the same reason?)

[ptbrunet]

I think these are external issues with JAWS and Window-Eyes but will leave this open until I can get the issues entered into the respective external bug databases.

[ptbrunet]

The Window-Eyes behavior has been reported to GW Micro via ​http://www.gwmicro.com/betacentral/bugs.php?bugFunction=showSpecific&bugNo=4294

There is a related Firefox/ARIA issue reported at ​https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=395258

The JAWS bug DB report is pending.

[ptbrunet]

Status on 9/18 - Using the JAWS 10 driver build 110 with today's minefield download.

• In Virtual PC cursor mode, the role is not read when the text box gets the POR (point of regard), only the value. The role is ROLE_SYSTEM_SPINBUTTON.
  • Note that this is not the usual use of the SPINBUTTON role. It's meant for a collection of an up/down button, but that's the way it is in FF2 and I suspect will be the way it will remain in FF3, so Rob will need to special case the handling of SPINBUTTON for FF2 (and probably FF3).
• The value, but nothing else, is re-read when the POR moves to whatever it moves to next when down arrow is pressed. I suspect JAWS is moving to one of the spin buttons or the collection of two spin buttons. Using the DOM Inspector you can see that both have tabindex of -1 and role of wairole:presentation so I think JAWS should just skip over them in virtual PC cursor mode. They are skipped in normal keyboard mode when not running JAWS.

I think JAWS is getting the information it needs and am waiting for confirmation from Freedom Scientific before closing this.

[ptbrunet]

I discussed this with Frank Dipalermo, IBM's interface to Freedom Scientific and he agreed that this is a JAWS problem which will be addressed as they get further into their ARIA work so I am going to close this ticket. Frank said he was not going to enter a defect against JAWS until their development effort gets further along, but he'd make a note of the problems I noticed.