Description List Support Tables

An alternate formatting of the <dl> support tables from Adrian Roselli's December 2022 tests. Last built Dec 5, 2022.

Key

Yup ✅: Adrian's ideal implementation
Sure: This implementation is good enough
Wut: Conveys the critical bits at least
Nope ⛔: Broken (no or incorrect semantics conveyed)

Firefox / NVDA
Method	1. No ARIA	2. ARIA 1.1 Term/Definition Roles	3. ARIA 1.3 (Draft) Association List Roles	Roundup
read-all (`NVDA` + `A`)	Yup Announced as a list with 8 items. Announces each DT and DD with a pause.	Yup Announced as a list with 8 items. Announces each DT and DD with a pause.	Yup Announced as a list with 8 items. Announces each DT and DD with a pause.	Each pattern announces the same.
virtual cursor (`↓`)	Yup Announced as a list with 8 items. Arrow key stops at each DT and DD.	Yup Announced as a list with 8 items. Arrow key stops at each DT and DD.	Yup Announced as a list with 8 items. Arrow key stops at each DT and DD.	Each pattern announces the same.
list navigation (`L`)	Yup Announced as a list with 8 items.	Yup Announced as a list with 8 items.	Yup Announced as a list with 8 items.	Each pattern announces the same.
list item navigation (`I`)	Sure Only navigates DTs.	Sure Only navigates DTs.	Sure Only navigates DTs.	Each pattern announces the same.

Chrome / JAWS
Method	1. No ARIA	2. ARIA 1.1 Term/Definition Roles	3. ARIA 1.3 (Draft) Association List Roles	Roundup
read-all (`JAWS` + `↓`)	Sure Announced as a definition list with 4 items. Announces each DT and DD together.	Sure Announced as a definition list with 4 items. Announces each DT and DD together.	Sure Announced as a definition list with 4 items. Announces each DT and DD together.	Each pattern announces the same.
virtual cursor (`↓`)	Sure Arrow key stops at each DT and DD. Announced as a list with 4 items.	Sure Arrow key stops at each DT and DD. Announced as a list with 4 items.	Sure Arrow key stops at each DT and DD. Announced as a list with 4 items.	Each pattern announces the same.
list navigation (`L`)	Sure Announced as a list with 4 items.	Sure Announced as a list with 4 items.	Sure Announced as a list with 4 items.	Each pattern announces the same.
list item navigation (`I`)	Sure Only DTs get announced.	Sure Only DTs get announced.	Sure Only DTs get announced.	Each pattern announces the same.

Edge / Narrator
Method	1. No ARIA	2. ARIA 1.1 Term/Definition Roles	3. ARIA 1.3 (Draft) Association List Roles	Roundup
read-all (`Narrator` + `R`)	Sure Announced as a definition list with 4 items. Announces each DT and DD together.	Sure Announced as a definition list with 4 items. Announces each DT and DD together.	Sure Announced as a definition list with 4 items. Announces each DT and DD together.	Each pattern announces the same.
virtual cursor (`↓`)	Sure Arrow key stops at each DT and DD. Announced as a definition list with 4 items.	Sure Arrow key stops at each DT and DD. Announced as a definition list with 4 items.	Sure Arrow key stops at each DT and DD. Announced as a definition list with 4 items.	Each pattern announces the same.

Safari / VoiceOver / macOS
Method	1. No ARIA	2. ARIA 1.1 Term/Definition Roles	3. ARIA 1.3 (Draft) Association List Roles	Roundup
read-all (`VO` + `A`)	Sure Announces each DT and DD with a pause. Announced as a definition list with 4 items.	Yup Announces each DT and DD with a pause. Announced as a description list with 8 items.	Nope Announces each DT and DD with a pause. Does not announce list.	Applying ARIA 1.1 `term` and `definition` roles adjusts count. Applying ARIA 1.3 roles breaks list announcement completely.
virtual cursor (`↓`)	Nope Does not announce list. Each DT and DD is exposed as a text element.	Nope Does not announce list. Each DT and DD is exposed as a text element.	Nope Does not announce list. Each DT and DD is exposed as a text element.	Each pattern announces the same.
list navigation (`VO` + `X`)	Sure Announces as a description list with 4 items.	Yup Announces as a description list with 8 items.	Nope Does not announce list.	Applying ARIA 1.1 `term` and `definition` roles adjusts count. Applying ARIA 1.3 roles breaks list announcement completely.

Chrome / TalkBack
Method	1. No ARIA	2. ARIA 1.1 Term/Definition Roles	3. ARIA 1.3 (Draft) Association List Roles	Roundup
read-all (swipe L, “Read from next item”)	Wut Does not announce list. Announces DD with trailing “definition”.	Sure Does not announce list. Announces DD with trailing “definition”. Announces DT with trailing “term”.	Wut Does not announce list. Announces DD with trailing “definition”.	Adding the `term` role gets it announced.
virtual cursor (swipe right)	Wut Does not announce list. Announces DD with trailing “definition”.	Sure Does not announce list. Announces DD with trailing “definition”. Announces DT with trailing “term”.	Wut Does not announce list. Announces DD with trailing “definition”.	Adding the `term` role gets it announced.
list navigation (`Alt` + `O`)	Sure Announces as list, no count.	Sure Announces as list, no count.	Sure Announces as list, no count.	Each pattern announces the same.
list navigation (`Alt` + `I`)	Sure Only navigates DTs.	Wut Only navigates DTs. Announces DT with trailing “term”.	Sure Only navigates DTs.	Uses `term` role to add more context.

Safari / VoiceOver / iPadOS
Method	1. No ARIA	2. ARIA 1.1 Term/Definition Roles	3. ARIA 1.3 (Draft) Association List Roles	Roundup
read-all (two finger swipe down)	Sure Announces DT with trailing “term”. Announces as description list, no count. Announces DD with trailing “description”.	Nope Announces as a single string, no pauses, no roles, no list items.	Sure Announces DT with trailing “term”. Announces as description list, no count. Announces DD with trailing “description”.	Uses `term` and `definition` roles to break lists.
virtual cursor (swipe right)	Sure Announces DT with trailing “term”. Announces as description list, no count. Announces DD with trailing “description”.	Wut Announces as description list, no count.	Sure Announces DT with trailing “term”. Announces as description list, no count. Announces DD with trailing “description”.	Uses `term` and `definition` roles to break lists.
list navigation (`X`)	Nope Does not announce list.	Nope Does not announce list.	Nope Does not announce list.	Does not recognize them as lists for keyboard navigation.