ARIA 1.1 includes the aria-details property, allowing for detailed, extended descriptions for objects. This relies on functioning <details> and <summary> elements.
The digital publishing community provided input to the ARIA WG about its needs for extended descriptions for multiple object types. Some of the requirements put forth by the digital publishing community are that the description should be available to ALL users, not just those using AT. Extended descriptions will be of assistance to those with cognitive disabilities using a standard browser or to those who simply want more information about an object. Further, it is important that the descriptions (the content of <summary>) be hidden by default. This can be accomplished if there is a toggle mechanism offered to the user to activate the display of extended descriptions referred to by the aria-details property.
It is necessary for the default to be hidden by default because it will be quite disruptive to all users for the description to render. This is of particular concern in a publication with extensive layout. While it may be the case that the description can be incorporated into the design, it will be extremely disruptive in scenarios such as a children’s book. Some of the art and designs may even be legally required to remain unchanged. Thinking beyond images, some typography will require descriptions because of shapes. See, for example, Lewis Carroll’s The Mouse’s Tail. This poem is shaped like a mouse’s tail.
Maps, detailed charts, and infographics are other examples of objects that will benefit from extended description and are common in digital publishing as well as the Web.
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