SA-30692

Summary

User has configured a section on one of our application screens to include multiple other sections. Every included section/dynamic layout, has the Heading Level configured. For example: 'Heading 2' and has a title specified.

When accessible users use JAWS to navigate through fields on this screen and they arrive at the included section/layout Heading, the heading is not read out as expected. JAWS reads - Region <Title> edit type in text.

The heading is not an editable field hence “type in text” is unjustified and misleading to the visually challenged.

Error Messages

Not Applicable

Steps to Reproduce

1. Use Internet Explorer 11. Do not use the PegaWAI ruleset.
2. Enable JAWS.
3. Launch the Case Manager portal.
4. Create a General Task work object and get to the Perform harness.
5. With JAWS enabled, after the page is loaded, use the TAB key to navigate through all elements on the page until you reach the highlighted heading. Listen to what JAWS reads.


6. Now navigate to the next highlighted heading. Listen to what JAWS reads.

7. If you use Shift+TAB and navigate back to highlighted heading, listen to JAWS.

 

Root Cause

Pega generally supports the JAWS version which existed when a particular version of Pega product is released. In this case, JAWS 18 did not exist when Pega 7.2.1 is released. So JAWS 16 and 17 are supported.

The below points lead us to believe that the reported issue is more to do with the JAWS product rather than Pega.
1. In Internet Explorer the behavior is very inconsistent - there are certain scenarios where in JAWS does not read "Edit type in text" for non-editable field and sometimes it does.
4. The markup generated by Pega in this scenario has all the necessary aria-attributes to call out the Heading.
6. Markup from the use case was tested outside of the Pega product as independent HTML, and one can see that JAWS behavior is still the same.

Resolution

Given the above root cause, below are some of the recommendations to work around the problem:

1. Use the Chrome browser (the reported use case does not read "Edit type in text" for non-editable heading elements).
OR
2. Engage the ARROW keys i.e. up and down arrows instead of TAB keys. JAWS reads the heading as expected.