[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #34791: Comments screen: can't focus the row action links anymore

[WordPress Trac]

#34791: Comments screen: can't focus the row action links anymore
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 Reporter:  afercia            |      Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)       |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal             |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Comments           |    Version:  trunk
 Severity:  normal             |   Keywords:  needs-patch has-screenshots
  Focuses:  ui, accessibility  |
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 Now that the comment date has being moved out of the comment content
 column and is within its own, new, column see [34504], when tabbing
 through focusable elements using just the keyboard there's no way to make
 the row action links appear.

 Previously, the date was the element that, when focused, made the row
 actions appear:

 [[Image(https://cldup.com/dUGEtthDaV.png)]]

 Now, there's no focusable element unless the comment is a reply (in this
 case there's the original comment author link that helps).

 [[Image(https://cldup.com/kOu9P084nQ.png)]]

 Keyboard users (including screen reader users) won't have any chance to
 activate those links so this is an accessibility regression in trunk.

 By the way, this is not the only case where the row action links show/hide
 is problematic for accessibility. For example, in the Posts Trash there's
 no focusable element to make the links appear (the post title is not
 linked), I guess this has always worked this way.

 Also, when tabbing backwards, the links appear only *after* users have the
 chance to focus them, they're basically "skipped" when navigating
 backwards, I guess this has always worked this way too.

 The accessibility testing group members often reported having troubles
 with the row action links, basically they can't get why sometimes they're
 available to their screen readers and sometimes not. Maybe, now we have a
 more clear view why they reported so :)

 Thinking a solid fix would be finding a new way to hide/show these links
 (have something in mind) but also wondering if this could be a nice
 proposal for the WCUS Contributor Day. Any thoughts more than welcome.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/34791>
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