Q&A: Disabling Buttons Inclusively
taught by: Zoë Haughton
Session Summary
Disabled buttons are common in the wild. There are various ways interactive controls can be disabled and for different reasons, but are we disabling them in a way that is accessible as well as inclusive?
Description
Watch this presentation in the Knowbility Learning Center
Imagine the common scenario whereby you want to disable a submit button until the user has filled in all required fields in a form. How do you ensure that a disabled control is not only accessible but fully inclusive and a pleasant experience for all users? This presentation discusses and demonstrates the following three possible methods and the impacts on users with disability of each:
- HTML disabled attribute.
- ARIA-disabled attribute.
- Not using disabled buttons.
Practical Skills
- Understand and see examples of three potential options for disabling buttons.
- Learn what potential impact each method has on users with disabilities by means of demonstrations.
- See a comparison of each method of disabling buttons in terms of user impact and which method is the most potentially inclusive overall.