role=math

[pkra]

Currently (Feb 2017), core-aam specifies that role=math means all children MUST be removed from the accessibility tree. (Thanks also to @MichielBijl and @jnurthen in this discussion.)

Therefore, the role math is essentially useless (though initial tests indicate that some but not all implementations follow the spec in this).

This issue can be used to work on a recommendation for changing the meaning of the math role. The goal is to redefine the role in way that it helps with real-world content and technologies for math on the web, enabling them to provide a rendering on the accessibility tree that matches their rendering on other trees and providing AT with practical instructions for navigating such a rendering.

[pkra]

This is a first attempt following yesterday's a11y task force meeting. We can re-write the OP as we go along.

[pkra]

From my experiments with deeply nested labels, I'd like the role to

• [high] enable better navigation of resulting tree structure
• [high] enable better integration into surrounding content (e.g., seamless navigation into/out of inline-math)
• [high] enable more detailed punctuation rendering (user opt-in)
• [high] enable announcement of content type (e.g., "math", "equation" if user opt-in)
• [medium] fix how an aria-label is combined with text content (underneath role=math)
• [low] allow for separate summary information
• [low] (new) features to indicate begin/end of groups

[pkra]

Just to note that w3c/aria#425 exists.

[pkra]

From this week's a11y TF meeting the main question is: do we need a specific role at all?