Description Carolyn MacLeod 2016-02-19 16:49:49 EST

The fix for Bug 480348 - "nextAnnotation no longer show the annotation's tooltip" has created an interesting problem for accessibility. Before this fix, I simply recommended that screen reader users type ctrl+. or ctrl+, and then type F2 to open and focus the annotation's tooltip, which the screen reader then speaks. Type Esc to dismiss the tooltip. This is a bit of a workaround, but not entirely out of line with expectations, because F2 is used any time a keyboard user wants a tooltip.

Now, with the tooltip coming up automatically but not getting focus, the screen reader does not speak the tooltip text. In addition, F2 does not do anything because a tooltip is already up.

A screen reader user would have to do a bit of a non-intuitive hack to hear the tooltip spoken, as follows:
- close the automatic tooltip by typing right arrow, then left arrow
  (Esc does not close the automatic tooltip because it does not have focus)
  (typing right-left ensures that the caret stays on the same annotation)
- now type F2 to bring up the annotation's tooltip with focus so that it is spoken
- now typing Esc will close the tooltip

As a sighted person, I actually appreciate the tooltip coming up automatically when I type ctrl+.  I also appreciate that focus is still in the text, because I can keep typing without dismissing the tooltip first. So I don't want to automatically give focus to the tooltip.

However, I think we need to fix the accesibility problem.
I think the easiest fix is to focus the automatic tooltip if F2 is pressed.
Other suggestions welcome.