A simple menu may include a limited number of submenus that tunnel down into sub-features and related options.Ĭomplex menus are often referred to as menubars or megamenus. The user activates a simple menu via a link, button, or other action (e.g., right-click, mouseover). Simple menus are also referred to as popup or context menus. Though visual styling differs, menus typically fit into two general categories, simple or complex. This guide will discuss the two primary methods for addressing the accessibility of menus, including the ARIA Menu paradigm and the native active element approach more broadly discussed in the WAI Menu Tutorial.

The number of documented variations is often a source of great confusion for mainstream developers who cannot easily identify which category these widget constructs fall into-or how well they are supported. Others concentrate on bleeding edge solutions that have little support in practice by the general public. Some address historical accessibility issues with screen reader support.

The topic of making dynamic menus accessible within web technologies has been brought up repeatedly over the years, and many conflicting resources claim to have solved this in differing ways.

Can include additional interactive controls (e.g., embedded form fields), supplementary textual content (e.g., headings and other active element types), and many other features.Īs such, the concept of a menu is flexible, and entirely dependent on the environment where it is applied.

Represent expanded behaviors within complex web pages, and.

Often includes nested submenus, in the same manner as native popup or context menus that appear when right clicking the page.

Is often used to perform specific actions within the same page, and.

Can be dynamically expanded using direct interaction, or as part of automatic responsive design layouts.

Provides condensed site navigation functionality, and.

Is often used within headers or footers,.

The meaning of the word “ menu” within web technologies is variable and encompasses many different types of functionality.

Megasync safe and free