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WAI-ARIA: Role=Button

An input that allows for user-triggered actions when clicked or pressed.

Description

An input that allows for user-triggered actions when clicked or pressed. See related link.

Buttons are mostly used for discrete actions. Standardizing the appearance of buttons enhances the user’s recognition of the widgets as buttons and allows for a more compact display in toolbars.

Buttons support the optional attribute aria-pressed. Buttons with a non-empty aria-pressed attribute are toggle buttons. When aria-pressed is true the button is in a “pressed” state, when aria-pressed is false it is not pressed. If the attribute is not present, the button is a simple command button.

Example

HTML Example 1

<a href="/continue.html" role="button">Continue</a>

HTML Example 2

<div role="toolbar" tabindex="0" id="customToolbar">
<img src="/img/btn1.gif" tabindex="0" role="button" id="b1" alt="Home">
<img src="/img/btn2.gif" tabindex="-1" role="button" id="b2" alt="Refresh">
<img src="/img/btn3.gif" tabindex="-1" role="button" id="b3" alt="Help">
</div>

Characteristics

Superclass Role

  • command

Base Concept

  • HTML button

Related Concepts

  • link
  • XForms trigger

Supported States and Properties

  • aria-expanded
  • aria-pressed

Inherited States and Properties:

  • aria-atomic
  • aria-busy (state)
  • aria-controls
  • aria-current (state)
  • aria-describedby
  • aria-details
  • aria-disabled (state)
  • aria-dropeffect
  • aria-errormessage
  • aria-flowto
  • aria-grabbed (state)
  • aria-haspopup
  • aria-hidden (state)
  • aria-invalid (state)
  • aria-keyshortcuts
  • aria-label
  • aria-labelledby
  • aria-live
  • aria-owns
  • aria-relevant
  • aria-roledescription

Name From

  • contents
  • author

Accessible Name Required

  • True

Children Presentational

  • True

Semantic HTML

Use the HTML <button> tag.

<button type="button">Click Me!</button>

Reference

W3C (opens new window)

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