Vue A11y Utils for Vue 2.x #

This guide is for Vue 2.x. If you are using Vue 3.x, please refer to this doc.

Install #

npm install vue-a11y-utils@^0.8.0

or

yarn add vue-a11y-utils@^0.8.0

or

pnpm install vue-a11y-utils@^0.8.0

<VueAria> Component #

This component helps you to write role and aria-* attributes likely in a better way.

First you could put all aria-* attributes in an JS object. Second these a11y attributes could be inherited when more than 1 <VueAria> components nested. Third, it's more portable to use.

Another thing important is the tabindex attribute which could make an element focusable. But sometimes when the role changed into "none" or "appearance", there should be a easy way to control whether it is focusable as well.

Examples #

For Props role And aria #

<template>
  <VueAria role="menubutton" :aria="aria">
    <button>WAI-ARIA Quick Links</button>
  </VueAria>
</template>

<script>
import { VueAria } from "vue-a11y-utils";
export default {
  components: { VueAria },
  data() {
    return {
      aria: {
        haspopup: true,
        controls: "menu2"
      }
    };
  }
};
</script>

which is same to:

<template>
  <button id="menubutton" aria-haspopup="true" aria-controls="menu2">
    WAI-ARIA Quick Links
  </button>
</template>

So the content and structure in template is more clear than which with a lot of aria-* attribute in.

The aria prop could also be an Array which is convenient to merge multiple aria-* attribute from different places:

<template>
  <VueAria
    role="menubutton"
    :aria="[ariaData, ariaProps, otherAriaFromSomewhereElse]"
  >
    <button>WAI-ARIA Quick Links</button>
  </VueAria>
</template>

And this component could be nested like:

<template>
  <VueAria :aria="otherAriaFromSomewhereElse">
    <VueAria :aria="ariaProps">
      <VueAria role="menubutton" :aria="ariaData">
        <button>WAI-ARIA Quick Links</button>
      </VueAria>
    </VueAria>
  </VueAria>
</template>

or:

<template>
  <VueAria role="menubutton">
    <VueAria :aria="aria">
      <button>WAI-ARIA Quick Links</button>
    </VueAria>
  </VueAria>
</template>

For Prop tabindex #

If you want to make a <div> focusable. You should give it a tabindex attribute. For example:

<template>
  <VueAria role="menubutton" :tabindex="0">
    <div>WAI-ARIA Quick Links</div>
  </VueAria>
</template>

When you pass "none" or "appearance" value into role prop but without a tabindex prop. The tabindex attribute on the root element will finally be "" by default. For examples:

<template>
  <!-- won't be focused by click or TAB key -->
  <VueAria role="none">
    <div tabindex="0" role="menubutton">WAI-ARIA Quick Links</div>
  </VueAria>
</template>

<template>
  <!-- won't be focused TAB key but could be focused by click -->
  <VueAria role="none" :tabindex="-1">
    <div role="button" tabindex="0">WAI-ARIA Quick Links</div>
  </VueAria>
</template>

API #

props #

• role: string
• aria: Array or Object
• tabindex: number

slots #

• default slot: the element you would put these a11y attributes on (only one root element is accepted)

v-aria Custom Directive #

If you prefer using directives rather than components, here is another choise: v-aria custom directive.

It helps you to write aria-* attributes better throught a Vue custom directive.

Almost the same to the aria prop in <VueAria> component, let you put all aria-* attributes in an object or array.

Examples #

<template>
  <i class="icon-save" role="button" v-aria="aria" />
</template>

<script>
import { directiveAria } from "vue-a11y-utils";
export default {
  directives: {
    aria: directiveAria
  },
  data() {
    return {
      aria: {
        label: "save your changes",
        controls: "id-of-a-textbox"
      }
    };
  }
};
</script>

This example above is same to:

<template>
  <i
    class="icon-save"
    role="button"
    aria-label="save your changes"
    aria-controls="id-of-a-textbox"
  >
</template>

Btw. there is no custom directive such as v-role and v-tabindex because you can set the two raw attributes directly on the same component or element with v-aria.

Travel Mixin #

We provide a composable named useTravel(config) to help you use Arrow keys to travel through a group of focusable items or descendants. At the same time we support you fire some common actions by pressing ENTER, SPACE or ESC key.

This mixin exposes a method named bindTravel($event: KeyboardEvent) which helps you use Arrow keys to travel through a group of focusable items or descendants. At the same time we support you fire some common actions by pressing ENTER, SPACE or ESC key.

Beside binding the method to a @keydown event, you should also config a special component option: $travel: TravelConfig. The config object must contain a setItems(vm) method to return an array of items you want to travel, and a pair of getIndex(vm), setIndex(vm, index) methods to access the current active index. And also you could define how to move(vm, event, newIndex, oldIndex, items) active index, how to fire action by enter(vm, event, index, items), space(vm, event, index, items) or esc(vm, event, index, items) keys. These 3 methods support returning a truthy value to avoid other following actions happened from the same event.

If there are more than one area you want to travel in a Vue component, we also provide another named travel way like: bindTravel($event, name) method + $travel: Record<string, TravelConfig> config.

Additionally, this travel config also accepts you define:

• looped to determine whether the travel would be looped back when we go next at the last item or go previously at the first item.
• orientation to determine the orientation of the Arrow keys: "horizontal" or "vertical".
• hasPagination to fire nextPage(vm, event, index, items) & prevPage(vm, event, index, items) when PageDown or PageUp pressed.
• hasSearch to fire search(vm, next, keyword, index, items) when a letter or number key pressed.

Examples #

Focus Travel Using Arrow Keys #

The second example is about focus travel using Arrow keys in a Vue component. There are 2 files:

• App.vue:

  vue

  <template>
    <div role="list" @keydown="bindTravel">
      <ListItem
        ref="items"
        v-for="option in options"
        :key="option.value"
        :text="option.text"
        :value="option.value"
      />
    </div>
  </template>
  
  <script>
  import { MixinTravel } from "vue-a11y-utils";
  
  const travelConfig = {
    looped: true,
    getItems(vm) {
      return vm.$refs.items;
    },
    getIndex(vm) {
      return vm.currentIndex;
    },
    setIndex(vm, index) {
      vm.currentIndex = index;
      const items = this.getItems(vm);
      const item = items[index];
      item.$el.focus();
    },
    move(vm, event, newIndex) {
      this.setIndex(vm, newIndex);
    },
    enter(vm, event, index, items) {
      items[index].fireAction();
    }
  };
  export default {
    mixins: [MixinTravel],
    components: { ListItem },
    $travel: travelConfig,
    data() {
      return {
        currentIndex: 0
      };
    },
    props: {
      options: Array
    }
  };
  </script>
  

• ListItem.vue:

  vue

  <template>
    <div role="listitem" tabindex="-1" @click="fireAction">{{ text }}</div>
  </template>
  
  <script>
  export default {
    props: {
      text: String,
      value: String
    },
    methods: {
      fireAction() {
        alert(this.value);
      }
    }
  };
  </script>
  

Here are some points you may notice:

1. Bind @keydown="bindTravel" to the root DOM element of your component.
2. Define getItems(vm), getIndex(vm), setIndex(vm, index) methods in travelConfig to make the travel runnable.
3. Define the move() method to make the travel worked and define the looped travel way.
4. Define enter() method to call fireAction() method in the current active <ListItem> component when user press ENTER.

Now you can focus the list first, and use ArrowUp and ArrowDown to travel each items. When you press ENTER, an alert with the value of the current focused item would be poped up.

API #

Method you can call #

• bindTravel(event: KeyboardEvent[, name: string]): void

  The second parameter is optional. When you write $travel option like:

  js

  $travel: {
    foo: travelConfigFoo,
    bar: travelConfigBar
  }
  

  You can use the second parameter like: bindTravel($event, 'foo') or bindTravel($event, 'bar') to match a certain travel config.

Component option you can define #

• $travel: TravelConfig
• $travel: Record<string, TravelConfig>

The format of TravelConfig:

Basic config

• getItems(vm): any[]: required
• getIndex(vm): number: required
• setIndex(vm, index): required

Basic movement config

• orientation: string: optional, "vertical" (default value) or "horizontal"
• looped: boolean
• move(vm, event, newIndex, oldIndex, items): optional, if you don't define this method the active index may be not possible to move when Arrow keys pressed.

Action config

• enter(vm, event, index, items): optional, will be fired when ENTER key pressed.
• space(vm, event, index, items): optional, will be fired when SPACE key pressed.
• action(vm, event, index, items): optional, will be fired when ENTER or SPACE key pressed.
• esc(vm, event, index, items): optional, will be fired when Escape key pressed.

Pagination config

• hasPagination: boolean: optional
• nextPage(vm, event, index, items): optional
• prevPage(vm, event, index, items): optional

Search config

• hasSearch: boolean: optional
• search(vm, event, keyword, index, items): optional

Id Mixin #

In modern web framework today, the id attribute of an HTML element is almost never used. But in WAI-ARIA, some aria-* attributes like aria-controls, aria-labelledby only accept ID reference or ID reference list. Another problem about id is that it's always global unique. But every Vue component has its own scope. It's not easy to make sure an id not used in other Vue components.

This mixin helps you generate unique id (sometimes as an id prefix) for HTML elements in a component by default. And you can also easily specify the id manually if necessary.

Examples #

Generate unique id #

input.vue:

<template>
  <div :id="localId">
    <label ref="label" :id="`${localId}-label`">Username</label>
    <input
      ref="input"
      :id="`${localId}-input`"
      :aria-labelledby="`${localId}-label`"
    />
  </div>
</template>

<script>
import { MixinId } from "vue-a11y-utils";
export default {
  mixins: [MixinId]
};
</script>

In this example, the localId is a data member which is generated by Id mixin. It's globally unique so you don't need worry about that.

If you have a form with a group of inputs, it is suitable for set each input with a different auto-generated id in that way above.

Use id passed from parent component #

Think about you should bind a clear button out of the input component above. Now you can easily set an id prop from parent like this:

foo.vue:

<template>
  <div>
    <VueInput id="foo" />
    <button aria-controls="foo-input">Clear</button>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
import VueInput from "input.vue";
import { MixinId } from "vue-a11y-utils";
export default {
  mixins: [MixinId],
  components: { VueInput }
};
</script>

Now the final generated DOM tree will be:

<div>
  <div id="foo">
    <label id="foo-label">Username</label>
    <input id="foo-input" aria-labelledby="foo-label" />
  </div>
  <button aria-controls="foo-input">Clear</button>
</div>

API #

Props you can use #

• id: string

Values you can get #

• localId: string

<VueFocusTrap> Component #

Usually, when you have a modal dialog in your Vue app, you should keep the focus always in it whatever you navigate by touch, mouse or keyboard.

<VueFocusTrap> gives you a easy way to wrap a modal content with trapped focus by just two events: gofirst and golast, which should bind handlers to reset the focus to the first or last focusable element in it.

But there must only be one trap in the whole Vue app, so by default the traps of all <VueFocusTrap> instances would be disabled by default. To control the enabled trap in one of them, you need instance methods:

• open(): enable the current focus trap and push the previous focus trap in an "focus stack" internally. At the same time, save the previous focused element, and then emit a open event.
• replace(): enable the current focus trap and replace the last focus trap in the "focus stack" with the current one. At the same time, save the previous focused element, and then emit a open event.
• close(returnFocus): disable the current focus trap and enable the last focus trap in the "focus stack". Also you can determine whether auto-focus the previous focused element in that focus trap. And then emit a open(prevTraget) event with the previous focused element whatever you determined.

Examples #

In this example below, after you open the modal dialog by click the trigger button, the focus will always be in one of the 4 control elements in <form>, whatever you press tab, tab + shift or click somewhere out of the dialog:

<template>
  <div>
    <button ref="trigger" @click="shown = true">
      Open a Modal Dialog
    </button>
    <form class="dialog" v-show="shown">
      <VueFocusTrap
        ref="dialog"
        @open="open"
        @gofirst="goFirst"
        @golast="goLast"
      >
        <label>Email: <input ref="email" type="email"/></label>
        <label>Password: <input ref="password" type="password"/></label>
        <button ref="login" @click="shown = false">Login</button>
        <button ref="cancel">Cancel</button>
      </VueFocusTrap>
    </form>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
import { VueFocusTrap } from "vue-a11y-utils";
export default {
  components: { VueFocusTrap },
  data() {
    return { shown: false };
  },
  watch: {
    shown(value) {
      if (value) {
        setTimeout(() => {
          const dialog = this.$refs.dialog;
          dialog.open();
        }, 50);
      } else {
        const dialog = this.$refs.dialog;
        dialog.close(true);
      }
    }
  },
  methods: {
    open() {
      this.goFirst();
    },
    goFirst() {
      this.$refs.email.focus();
    },
    goLast() {
      this.$refs.cancel.focus();
    }
  }
};
</script>

API #

Methods #

• open()
• replace()
• close(returnFocus: boolean)

Slots #

• default slot: the content you would trap focus in.

Events #

• open(prevTarget: HTMLElement | null): when it is enabled
• gofirst: when you should manually set focus to the first focusable element
• golast: when you should manually set focus to the last focusable element

Shortcuts Mixin #

In an app we may need some keyboard shortcuts to do operations more effectively. Fortunately we have a Shortcuts mixin.

Examples #

In this example, this component will listen shortcut CMD + G globally:

<template>...</template>

<script>
import { MixinShortcuts } from "vue-a11y-utils";
export default {
  mixins: [MixinShortcuts],
  $shortcuts: [
    {
      key: "G",
      modifiers: { meta: true },
      handle(event) {
        alert("trigger: CMD + G");
      }
    }
  ]
};
</script>

Another way to config CMD + K, CMD + B as a keys sequence:

<template>...</template>

<script>
import { MixinShortcuts } from "vue-a11y-utils";
export default {
  mixins: [MixinShortcuts],
  $shortcuts: [
    {
      keys: [
        { key: "K", modifiers: { meta: true } },
        { key: "B", modifiers: { meta: true } }
      ],
      handle(event) {
        alert("trigger: CMD + K, B");
      }
    }
  ]
};
</script>

You can also quickly config each key in keys as a string if there is no modifiers to declare:

<template>...</template>

<script>
import { MixinShortcuts } from "vue-a11y-utils";
export default {
  mixins: [MixinShortcuts],
  shortcuts: [
    {
      keys: ["a", "s", "d", "f"],
      handle(event) {
        alert("trigger: A-S-D-F");
      }
    }
  ]
};
</script>

At last, if you would like to bind key shortcuts on a certain element, for example an input text box, we also supports named shortcuts config like below:

<template>
  <div>
    <input type="text" value="CMD + G" @keydown="bindShortcut($event, 'foo')" />
    <input type="text" value="CMD + K" @keydown="bindShortcut($event, 'bar')" />
  </div>
</template>

<script>
import { MixinShortcuts } from "vue-a11y-utils";
export default {
  mixins: [MixinShortcuts],
  $shortcuts: {
    foo: [
      {
        key: "g",
        modifiers: { meta: true },
        handle(event) {
          alert("trigger: CMD + G");
        }
      }
    ],
    bar: [
      {
        key: "k",
        modifiers: { meta: true },
        handle(event) {
          alert("trigger: CMD + K");
        }
      }
    ],
    default: [
      {
        keys: ["a", "s", "d", "f"],
        handle(event) {
          alert("trigger: A-S-D-F");
        }
      }
    ]
  }
};
</script>

And the default shortcuts config is still globally avaliable.

API #

New option you can declare #

• $shortcuts: Array<ShortcutConfig>

• $shortcuts: Record<string, ShortcutConfig>

• $shortcuts: Record<string, Array<ShortcutConfig>>

  The interface ShortcutConfig is like:

  ts

  {
    key: string, // we will introduce later
    modifiers: {
      ctrl?: boolean,
      shift?: boolean,
      alt?: boolean, // you can also use `option`
      meta?: boolean // you can also use `cmd` or `window`
    },
    handle(event: KeyboardEvent)
  } |
  {
    keys[
      {
        key: string,
        modifiers: {
          ctrl?: boolean,
          shift?: boolean,
          alt?: boolean, // you can also use `option`
          meta?: boolean // you can also use `cmd` or `window`
        }
      } |
      key: string
    ],
    handle(event: KeyboardEvent)
  }
  

  The key value in interface ShortcutConfig could be one of them below:

  • letter: a-z (case-insensitive)
  • number: 0-9
  • common key names: up, down, left, right, home, end, pagedown, pageup (case-insensitive)
  • any other valid code value in KeyboardEvent

Methods you can call #

• bindShortcut(event: KeyboardEvent, name: string)

<VueLive> Component #

inspired from react-aria-live by AlmeroSteyn

This component is actually a wrapper which generates a invisible WAI-ARIA live region and provides a default slot which injects some methods to announce live messages on its descendant components.

Examples #

• App.vue:

  vue

  <template>
    <VueLive>
      <Foo />
    </VueLive>
  </template>
  
  <script>
  import { VueLive } from "vue-a11y-utils";
  export default {
    components: { VueLive }
  };
  </script>
  

• Foo.vue:

  vue

  <template>
    <div>
      Message: <input type="text" v-model="message" />
      <button @click="announce(message)">Announce</button>
    </div>
  </template>
  
  <script>
  export default {
    inject: ["announce"],
    data() {
      return { message: "" };
    }
  };
  </script>
  

Now, if you enable VoiceOver or other a11y screen readers, there will be a live message announced when you input some text in the textbox and press the "announce" button.

The injected method announce(message) could announce live message to the screen reader.

But by default the live message will be announced "politely" after other voices spoken. If you want to announce the message immediately, you can pass a second parameter with a truthy value:

<template>
  <div>
    Message: <input type="text" v-model="message" />
    <input type="checkbox" v-model="immediately" />: immediately
    <button @click="announce(message, immediately)">Announce</button>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  inject: ["announce"],
  data() {
    return {
      message: "",
      immediately: false
    };
  }
};
</script>

API #

Props #

• role: string: "log" by default, you can also choose other live region roles
• label: string: the label of the live region

Slots #

• default slot: the content you would wrap.

Provide #

• announce(message: string, immediately: boolean): announce message to screen reader
  • message: the message text would be announced
  • immediately: whether announce immediately or "politely"
• isBusy(busy: boolean) if you set it true, only the last message you send during that time would be announced after you set it false later. (experimental, not sure screen readers support that well)