Copyright © 2015-2023 World Wide Web Consortium. W3C® liability, trademark and permissive document license rules apply.
The Digital Publishing Accessibility API Mappings (DPub-AAM) defines how user agents map the Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA Module [dpub-aria-1.1] markup to platform accessibility APIs. It is intended for user agent developers responsible for accessibility in their user agent so that they can support the accessibility content produced for digital publishing.
This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. A list of current W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be found in the W3C technical reports index at https://www.w3.org/TR/.
Feature development for this version is complete. This is a Candidate Recommendation Draft published to obtain implementation feedback before finalization of the specification.
The primary change since the First Public Working Draft was to update the Mac AX API mappings to add the AXCustomContent fields for announcing roles. Feedback on any aspect of the specification is encouraged. A list of all substantive changes is available in the change log.
This document was published by the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group as a Working Draft using the Recommendation track.
Publication as a Working Draft does not imply endorsement by W3C and its Members.
This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this document as other than work in progress.
This document was produced by a group operating under the W3C Patent Policy. W3C maintains a public list of any patent disclosures made in connection with the deliverables of the group; that page also includes instructions for disclosing a patent. An individual who has actual knowledge of a patent which the individual believes contains Essential Claim(s) must disclose the information in accordance with section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy.
This document is governed by the 2 November 2021 W3C Process Document.
This section is non-normative.
The implementation of this specification in user agents enables authors to produce more accessible e-books, by conveying structural book constructs used by the digital publishing industry to assistive technologies. It does this by extending the Core Accessibility API Mappings 1.1 [CORE-AAM-1.1] and the Accessible Name and Description: Computation 1.2 [ACCNAME-1.2] specifications for user agents. It provides Accessibility API Mapping guidance for the roles defined in the Digital Publish WAI-ARIA Module.
The DPub-AAM is part of the WAI-ARIA suite described in the WAI-ARIA Overview.
As well as sections marked as non-normative, all authoring guidelines, diagrams, examples, and notes in this specification are non-normative. Everything else in this specification is normative.
The key word MUST in this document is to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all capitals, as shown here.
RFC-2119 keywords are formatted in uppercase and contained in a strong
element with
class="rfc2119"
. When the keywords shown above are used, but do not share this
format, they do not convey formal information in the RFC 2119 sense, and are merely explanatory
(i.e., informative). As much as possible, such usages are avoided in this specification.
The indication whether a section is normative or non-normative (informative) applies to the entire section including sub-sections.
Informative sections provide information useful to understanding the specification. Such sections may contain examples of recommended practice, but it is not required to follow such recommendations in order to conform to this specification.
The DPUB-ARIA specification [dpub-aria-1.1] lists some roles as deprecated. Although this means authors are encouraged not to use these roles, it is expected that the roles could still be used in legacy content. Therefore, it is important that user agents continue to map these roles to accessibility APIs, and doing so is part of conformance to this specification. When future versions of the DPUB-ARIA specification change such roles from deprecated to removed, they will be removed from the mappings as well and user agents will no longer be asked to continue support for those roles.
Enabling keyboard navigation in web applications is a necessary step toward making accessible web applications possible. Conforming user agents MUST conform to Supporting Keyboard Navigation requirements in [CORE-AAM-1.1].
This section MUST conform to General rules for exposing WAI-ARIA semantics in [CORE-AAM-1.1].
User agents MUST conform to Conflicts between native markup semantics and WAI-ARIA in [CORE-AAM-1.1].
User agents MUST conform to Exposing attributes that do not directly map to accessibility API properties in [CORE-AAM-1.1].
Platform accessibility APIs traditionally have had a finite set of predefined roles that are expected by assistive technologies on that platform and only one or two roles may be exposed. In contrast, WAI-ARIA allows multiple roles to be specified as an ordered set of space-separated valid role tokens. The additional roles are fallback roles similar to the concept of specifying multiple fonts in case the first choice font type is not supported.
User agents MUST conform to the Role Mapping General Rules accessibility API computational requirements in [CORE-AAM-1.1].
Translators: For label text associated with the following table and its toggle buttons,
see the mappingTableLabels
object in the <head>
section of this
document.
This section defines how WAI-ARIA digital publishing roles map to platform accessibility APIs.
Elements having roles with a prefix value of doc-
, that are not listed in this role
mapping table, have no normative mappings.
doc-abstract
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-acknowledgments
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-afterword
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-appendix
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-backlink
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-biblioentry
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attribute
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-bibliography
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
listitem
descendants of doc-bibliography
(not descendant of
another listitem
)MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attribute
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-biblioref
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-chapter
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-colophon
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attribute
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-conclusion
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-cover
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attribute |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features | Control Type is Image
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role |
expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-credit
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attributexml-roles:doc-credit |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-credits
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-dedication
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attributexml-roles:doc-dedication |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-endnote
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attribute |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-endnotes
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
listitem
descendants of doc-endnotes
(not descendant of another
listitem
)MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attribute |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-epigraph
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attributexml-roles:doc-epigraph |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-epilogue
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-errata
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-example
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attributexml-roles:doc-example |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-footnote
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-foreword
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-glossary
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-glossref
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-index
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-introduction
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-noteref
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-notice
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attributexml-roles:doc-notice . |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-pagebreak
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attributexml-roles:doc-pagebreak . |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-pagefooter
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose
|
Mac AX API |
|
doc-pageheader
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose
|
Mac AX API |
|
doc-pagelist
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose
|
Mac AX API |
|
doc-part
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-preface
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-prologue
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-pullquote
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-qna
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attributexml-roles:doc-qna |
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-subtitle
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-tip
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose
IAccessible2: Object attributexml-roles:doc-tip
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
doc-toc
MSAA + IAccessible2 Role + Other IAccessible2 Features | Expose IAccessible2:
|
---|---|
UIA Control Type + Other Features |
|
ATK/AT-SPI Role | Expose |
Mac AX API |
|
The HTML specification states that other specifications can define translatable attributes [html]. The language and directionality of each attribute value is the same as the language and directionality of the element [html].
To be understandable by assistive technology users, the following role
mapping values
intended for human consumption should be translated when a page is localized:
value
property of AXCustomContentThis section describes how to expose WAI-ARIA states and object properties. User agents MUST conform to the State and Property Mapping accessibility API computational requirements in [CORE-AAM-1.1].
When computing an accessible name or accessible description, user agents MUST conform to the section titled Text Alternative Computation of the [ACCNAME-1.2] specification.
User agents MUST conform to the Relation accessibility API computational requirements in [CORE-AAM-1.1].
User agents MUST conform to the Group Position accessibility API computational requirements in [CORE-AAM-1.1].
User agents MUST conform to the Actions accessibility API computational requirements in [CORE-AAM-1.1].
user agents fire events for user actions, WAI-ARIA state changes, changes to document content or node visibility, changes in selection, and operation of menus. Conforming user agents MUST support the [CORE-AAM-1.1] Events mappings.
This section is non-normative.
This specification introduces no new security considerations.
In accordance with Web Platform Design Principles, this specification provides no programatic interface to determine if information is being used by assistive technologies. However, this specification does allow an author to present different information to users of assistive technologies from the information available to users who do not use assistive technologies. This is possible using many features of the DPUB-ARIA specification, just as this is possible using many other parts of the web technology stack. This content disparity could be abused to perform active fingerprinting of users of assistive technologies.
This section is non-normative.
The following people contributed to the development of this document.
This publication has been funded in part with U.S. Federal funds from the Department of Education, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), initially under contract number ED-OSE-10-C-0067, then under contract number HHSP23301500054C, and now under HHS75P00120P00168. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.