Need a process for new CSS features and accessibility mappings / review

[scottaohara]

As we're all quite aware, there is no formal CSS AAM.

There appears to be no process or assigned member of the ARIA wg or CSS wg to actively monitor CSS proposals specifically for a11y / implicit aria mappings. Examples of such features where this arguably would have been useful are concerning the new interactivity property or features from CSS Overflow Module Level 5 which were used to create CSS carousels - which introduce semantics/functionality native to CSS.

That is not to say that accessibility wasn't considered with the creation of these features. But, there is no official check with the ARIA WG on decisions being made, and there appears to be no formal documentation - which could thus lead to interop issues, not to mention the fact there are general a11y concerns/questions with each of these features now.

IMO, we need someone that is actively participating in CSS to help ensure the ARIA wg is being officially represented, and to report on areas where further a11y considerations (ux/mappings/etc.) will be needed.

I want to restate that this issue is not being filed because I don't think people weren't trying to consider accessibility, or because there was any purposeful exclusion of the ARIA wg. But, rather I think that if ARIA wants to be involved, then it needs to make the effort to be involved, and thus avoid having to go into reactive mode for new features that are published that the group might not even be aware of, yet.

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Full disclosure - I have tried to keep an eye on / comment on these features, when time permitted. But my attempt at keeping track of these falls outside of not only my current job, but even beyond the "extra" work I've become responsible for.

[extra808]

Draft interactivity property in CSS Basic User Interface Module Level 4.

[daniel-montalvo]

Discussed at the 27 March ARIA meeting

[daniel-montalvo]

Discussed at 14 May Editors call