While I am still waiting for review and positions from Firefox and Webkit members of the Aria WG, I'm getting positive signals from the non-implementor members with a couple of lgtms with only editorial suggestions. As more reviews come in, I'll keep this thread updated.
Add ariaNotify draft by janewman · Pull Request #2577 · w3c/aria <https://github.com/w3c/aria/pull/2577> On Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 3:39:31 PM UTC-7 Chris Harrelson wrote: > On Wed, Jul 23, 2025 at 2:23 PM 'Jacques Newman' via blink-dev < > blin...@chromium.org> wrote: > >> My thoughts on those questions: >> >> 1. AriaWG requires at least one implementation and one commitment to >> implement before any spec change can be merged, see: process.md >> >> <https://github.com/w3c/aria/blob/main/documentation/process.md#stage-four-merged>. >> >> This spec PR is on the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting, if it were approved >> and we got positive signals from (2) (but no commitment) how would you >> feel >> about moving forward? >> 2. I’m actively engaging with them in the Mozilla standards positions >> issue <https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/1049>, I >> think the latest iteration of the spec and explainer will alleviate the >> concerns they had with the older versions of the API. >> >> > I think it would be good to ask at the WG tomorrow how strong of an > "implementation commitment" they need. If it's like the one in the WHATWG > process, there just needs to be "interest > <https://whatwg.org/working-mode#additions>" in the API, for which a > positive standards position would suffice I think. > > Another question: has the editorial review & approval of the ARIA WG PR > been completed? Looks like not yet from what I can see. I think that's > important as well. > > *From:* Chris Harrelson <chri...@chromium.org> >> *Sent:* Wednesday, July 23, 2025 8:35 AM >> *To:* Daniel Bratell <brat...@gmail.com> >> *Cc:* Jacques Newman <jacques...@microsoft.com>; blin...@chromium.org >> *Subject:* [EXTERNAL] Re: [blink-dev] Intent to Ship: ARIA Notify API >> >> >> >> Hi, >> >> >> >> Two questions: >> >> >> 1. The spec PR is still open, I'd like that to be finished before >> shipping. >> >> >> >> 2. The Mozilla position references an incomplete design, but >> those comments seem old and have been superseded by more recent discussion >> on the issue. My assumption is that once (1) is finished, the position will >> likely move to positive? >> >> >> >> On Wed, Jul 23, 2025 at 8:12 AM Daniel Bratell <brat...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> LGTM1 >> >> /Daniel >> >> On 2025-07-23 00:00, 'Jacques Newman' via blink-dev wrote: >> >> *Contact emails* >> >> alm...@microsoft.com, jane...@microsoft.com, leo...@microsoft.com >> >> *Explainer* >> >> >> https://github.com/MicrosoftEdge/MSEdgeExplainers/blob/main/Accessibility/AriaNotify/explainer.md >> >> *Specification* >> >> https://github.com/w3c/aria/pull/2577 >> >> *Design docs* >> >> >> >> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tFT-4_sDvgnZoS8AYEcQquXzqAYaoB53DBH0C2T5rMk >> >> *Summary* >> >> ariaNotify provides a JavaScript API that enables content authors to >> directly tell a screen reader what to read. ariaNotify improves reliability >> and developer control compared to ARIA live regions, allowing for >> announcing changes not tied to DOM updates. This enables more consistent >> and ergonomic accessibility experiences across dynamic web applications. >> Iframe usage of this feature can be controlled via a permission policy >> "aria-notify". >> >> >> >> *Blink component* >> >> Blink>Accessibility >> <https://issues.chromium.org/issues?q=customfield1222907:%22Blink%3EAccessibility%22> >> >> *TAG review* >> >> https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/1075 >> >> *TAG review status* >> >> Issues addressed >> >> *Risks* >> >> >> >> *Interoperability and Compatibility* >> >> >> >> *Gecko*: Defer ( >> https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/1049) >> >> *WebKit*: No signal ( >> https://github.com/WebKit/standards-positions/issues/370) >> >> *Web developers*: Positive (https://github.com/w3c/aria/issues/832) Blog >> post asking for the feature: >> https://www.nicchan.me/blog/please-can-we-have-aria-notify/ >> *See section after the I2S template for more web developer verbatim >> feedback.* >> *Other signals*: >> >> *WebView application risks* >> >> *Does this intent deprecate or change behavior of existing APIs, such >> that it has potentially high risk for Android WebView-based applications?* >> >> None >> >> >> >> *Debuggability* >> >> I have verified that devtools autocomplete works as expected when the >> feature flag is enabled. >> >> >> >> *Will this feature be supported on all six Blink platforms (Windows, Mac, >> Linux, ChromeOS, Android, and Android WebView)?* >> >> No >> >> This API requires platform specific APIs to communicate the notification >> to screen readers, and this has not yet been implemented in ChromeOS. >> >> >> >> *Is this feature fully tested by web-platform-tests >> <https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/main/docs/testing/web_platform_tests.md>?* >> >> No >> >> Web platform tests do not currently have the ability to monitor >> platform-specific accessibility APIs, [Acacia AAM]( >> https://github.com/Igalia/rfcs/blob/wpt-for-aams-rfc/rfcs/wpt-for-aams.md) >> will close this gap and allow for testing of such features within WPT >> >> >> >> *Flag name on about://flags* >> >> >> >> *Finch feature name* >> >> AriaNotify >> >> *Rollout plan* >> >> Will ship enabled for all users >> >> *Requires code in //chrome?* >> >> False >> >> *Tracking bug* >> >> https://issues.chromium.org/issues/326277796 >> >> *Estimated milestones* >> >> Shipping on desktop >> >> 140 >> >> Shipping on Android >> >> 140 >> >> >> >> *Anticipated spec changes* >> >> *Open questions about a feature may be a source of future web compat or >> interop issues. Please list open issues (e.g. links to known github issues >> in the project for the feature specification) whose resolution may >> introduce web compat/interop risk (e.g., changing to naming or structure of >> the API in a non-backward-compatible way).* >> >> All open spec issues can be resolved with backwards compatible additions. >> Recent conversations in the tag review showcase what an >> backwards-compatible extension might look like and the Mozilla standards >> position thread go over all of the open issues and how they can be resolved >> in the future in a backwards-compatible way. Open Issues link: >> https://github.com/w3c/aria/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+%5BAriaNotify%5D >> >> *Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status* >> >> https://chromestatus.com/feature/5745430754230272?gate=5410577665490944 >> >> *Links to previous Intent discussions* >> >> Intent to Prototype: >> https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/CH2PR00MB0680B14C1978202FF59CF7D3F2239%40CH2PR00MB0680.namprd00.prod.outlook.com >> >> This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status >> <https://chromestatus.com/>. >> >> >> >> *Quotes from Web Developers:* >> >> >> >> *From Steve at Desmos, a graphing calculator web application:* >> >> >> *“We are enthusiastic about integrating the new ariaNotify() API into our >> suite of Desmos tools. Across our platform—including in our customized fork >> of the open-source MathQuill equation editor, our graph sonification >> feature known as Audio Trace, and interactive geometry construction >> tools—we frequently provide screen reader users with real-time feedback via >> custom spoken messages. Historically, we have implemented these >> notifications by updating hidden document fragments with aria-live >> attributes. While this approach has served us reasonably well, it has a >> significant limitation that has long remained unresolved: screen readers >> will not re-announce the same message, even if the user explicitly requests >> it. This presents a notable usability issue. For example, if a user types >> the same digit repeatedly, navigates through a list of identical elements, >> or invokes a command to re-speak the most recent message, screen readers >> often remain silent. In minor cases, this forces users to take indirect >> actions just to hear the content again, while in more severe instances, it >> creates confusion or the appearance of a software defect beyond our >> control. * >> >> >> >> *The ariaNotify() API represents a promising and long-overdue >> improvement. Assuming timely and consistent adoption by browser and >> assistive technology vendors, this new mechanism will allow us to reliably >> deliver repeated announcements when appropriate—eliminating the need for >> fragile workarounds and improving the overall accessibility and >> responsiveness of our tools.” * >> >> *-Steve * >> >> >> >> *From Sarah Higley on Fluent, a framework developed by Microsoft:* >> >> *"We have already implemented ariaNotify in Fluent on browsers where it >> is supported, in lieu of our DOM-based notification utility. >> The ariaNotify implementation gives us a more robust announcement utility >> in several key aspects: * >> >> *It works even when a modal dialog is open on the page * >> >> *Managing multiple notifications in succession is more robust across >> platforms * >> >> *It requires significantly less code, testing, maintenance, and edge case >> handling from our side. * >> >> *Debugging live region announcements consistently accounts for a >> disproportionate amount of debugging effort and bugs especially from our >> partner teams, and transitioning more and more towards only supporting >> the ariaNotify implementation would be a big time saver for us, and deliver >> a more robust experience to our users.” * >> >> *-Sarah Higley * >> >> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "blink-dev" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to blink-dev+...@chromium.org. >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/CH4PR00MB2302D315E668B3CD0168C9C98B5CA%40CH4PR00MB2302.namprd00.prod.outlook.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/CH4PR00MB2302D315E668B3CD0168C9C98B5CA%40CH4PR00MB2302.namprd00.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "blink-dev" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to blink-dev+...@chromium.org. >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/6a7d368b-cc19-499b-8ed5-890a2a057797%40gmail.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/6a7d368b-cc19-499b-8ed5-890a2a057797%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "blink-dev" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to blink-dev+...@chromium.org. >> > To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/CH4PR00MB230211DB965B1A52330415848B5FA%40CH4PR00MB2302.namprd00.prod.outlook.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/CH4PR00MB230211DB965B1A52330415848B5FA%40CH4PR00MB2302.namprd00.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "blink-dev" group. 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