Behavior checking boxes using Mac OS no matter version

By Siobhan, 14 April, 2024

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps

I'll try to explain this as easily as possible. some checkboxes will toggle if space is pressed. some however will say check mark, then the element say brown, then a checkbox. Except using any of the shortcuts, space, VO space even VO shift space, don't do anything. So you have to check the checkmark for the element to e toggled on. Does anyone either know what i'm talking about or have you found an easier way to check boxes like these? Thanks. i've even done voice over off, no dice.

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Comments

By Dave Nason on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 17:52

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Hey. Can you give us some examples of where to find both of the types that you describe.
Cheers.

By Siobhan on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 17:52

Hi. Thanks for the response. I'm not sure it's allowed to post here as it'd be sounding like advertising, but it's a survey site that these most comes up on. I'll try to find other examples though.

By Kevin Shaw on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 17:52

If you're talking about checkboxes on websites, there are multiple things that can go wrong with these. A standard HTML checkbox should be activated with the spacebar or VO-spacebar.
However, many web developers will use a <div> or <span> element and style it to look like a checkbox. This is clickable with a mouse and MAY be activated with VO-space, but the behaviour is inconsistent. With some JavaScript, the keyboard behaviour can be added back in so the spacebar will check the checkbox. Many developers don't do this and so we get situations where some checkboxes are checkable with VO-space, others with space and others are not checkable at all.
And I haven't even mentioned ARIA yet.
On top of this is a whole list of backlog issues with systems like Material.io, Angular and React Native interacting with Chromium and WebKit to complicate things a little more.

By Siobhan on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 17:52

I know it's the developers of the websites that are at fault. I was just asking if anyone know any way of working around it because as I said, this survey site is pretty fun and I've gotten over six k points just by doing this while other things. Sorry not trying to advertise it. If anyone wants to know more email off here. I guess i'll put up with it.