WAI-ARIA Implementation in JavaScript UI Libraries – updated

A number of popular Javascript UI Libraries are in the process of adding WAI-ARIA support to their widgets and components. What is the current status and future plans for WAI-ARIA implementation in these libraries?

BBC Glow Widgets

Some of the Glow widgets have ARIA support:

• Info Panel
• Overlay
• Slider
• Time Table

The BBC Glow Library does not provide any documentation as to its conformance WCAG Guidelines.

Dojo (Dijit)

All Dojo 1.0 core widgets (Dijit) are claimed to be accessible via keyboard, ARIA, as well as in High Contrast mode.

• Dojo (Dijit) Widget explorer
• Dojo: an accessible JavaScript toolkit
• Dijit Accessibility (a11y)
• Dojo Toolkit Accessibility Final Report from the ATRC, University of Toronto

DOJO provides an Accessibility Statement which states:

“While Dojo does not make an explicit claim of compliance to W3C WCAG 2.0 Level A or to US Section 508, every attempt has been made to meet those guidelines and to make the 1.0 and future versions of the core widget set, dijit, accessible to keyboard, low vision and assistive technology users. “

EXTJS

(Extjs) – It has been reported that there are “Accessibility improvements – Section 508 and ARIA support” in Ext JS version 3.0, but no details are provided. No documentation could be found on what ARIA is implemented and what aspects of Section 508 or the WCAG Guidelines Extjs conforms to.

There is an ARIA Enabled Tree example provided for the Ext JS version 3.0, but no other samples appear to have ARIA support.

The Ext GWT 2.0 Explorer contains some ARIA mark up, but it is unclear at this time which widgets have ARIA support added.

Fluid Infusion

Fluid Infusion includes ready-to-use components as well as a framework to build your own. Infusion combines JavaScript, CSS, HTML and user-centered design, rolling them all into a single package that sits on top of the popular jQuery toolkit.

Fluid Infusion components using ARIA:

• Inline edit
• Reorderer
• Progress bar
• Use interface options
• File uploader

Fluid infusion does not provide any documentation as to its conformance to Section 508 or WCAG Guidelines, but it does state that “assistive technology like screen readers are tested extensively with our codebase”

Google Web Toolkit

GWT 1.5 Widgets have ‘baked in’ ARIA roles and states, and methods to add ARIA role and properties. It is unclear what the extent of the ARIA implementation is, a quick review of the GWT Feature Showcase indicates ARIA use in many Widgets:

• Custom Button
• Date Picker
• Suggest Box
• Tree
• Menu Bar
• Rich text
• Tab Panel

GWT Widgets that do not currently make use ARIA, on which users would benefit from its use include the Stack Panel, Basic pop up, Dialog box and Split Panels. GWT does not provide any documentation as to its conformance to Section 508 or WCAG Guidelines.

GWT ARIA Resources

• Built-in Accessibility in GWT 1.5 Applications
• Adding Accessibility Support to GWT Widgets: A Guide for Widget Developers

JQuery UI

Use of ARIA is being actively worked on. JQuery have a UI accessibility sub-team, and a JQuery Accessibility email group. Limited ARIA support was introduced in version1.7.

ARIA enabled JQuery UI widgets:

• accordion
• dialog
• progress bar

Full ARIA implementation planned for JQuery UI version 2.0 (2009?). JQuery UI does not provide any documentation as to its conformance to Section 508 or WCAG Guidelines.

Yahoo! User Interface Library (YUI)

There are ARIA plugins for a number of YUI widgets. The following YUI widgets currently have an ARIA plugin (as of October 2008):

• Button
• Carousel
• Container
• Menu
• TabView
• Grids CSS

Yahoo! UI does not provide any documentation as to its conformance to Section 508 or WCAG Guidelines, though it has been suggested that “most of the widgets would stand a rigorous Section 508 testing”. Victor Tsaran, an accessibility engineer at Yahoo!, stated recently that further ARIA support will be implemented in the upcoming version of YUI (3.0).

Libraries with no implemented ARIA support

• ASP.NET AJAX Control Toolkit – The ASP.NET AJAX Roadmap includes WAI-ARIA support in quarter 2 2009.
• Icefaces is the successor to Sun’s opens source library Woodstock. In the Icefaces introduction, Iceface accessibility is discussed, but there is no mention of WAI-ARIA implementaion. It states “Current accessibility standards have not yet caught up will modern Ajax techniques”, which suggests that ARIA has not been considered as yet. There is an ICEfaces Accessibility Spreadsheet available which details level of conformance of Icefaces JSF components in respect to WCAG 1.0. There are no indications in the Icefaces Road Map that WAI-ARIA implementation is being planned.
• Moo Tools – No information can be found on WAI -ARIA support or intention to support.
• Telerik ASP.NET AJAX Components – Claim conformance to WCAG 1.0 guidelines. No information can be found on WAI -ARIA support or intention to support.
• ZK Direct RIA – Documentation refers to planned WAI-ARIA support, but has noot been updated since 2007. A check of the ZK widgets indicates no ARIA implementation. Information about ZK’s Section 508 Compliance.