Accessibility of web content requires semantic information about widgets, structures, and behaviors, in order to allow assistive technologies to convey appropriate information to persons with disabilities. This specification defines a [[WAI-ARIA]] module encompassing an ontology of roles, states, and properties specific to the digital publishing industry. These semantics are designed to allow an author to convey digital book user interface behaviors and structural information to assistive technologies and to enable semantic navigation, styling, and interactive features used by digital book readers. It is expected this will complement [[HTML5]].

This document is part of the WAI-ARIA suite described in the WAI-ARIA Overview.

Introduction

The goals of this specification include:

WAI-ARIA is a technical specification that defines a common host language semantic accessibility API and framework that enables web browsers to map the accessibility semantics in web content to platform-specific accessibility APIs. This enables web content to be interoperable with platform assistive technologies similar to native platform applications without platform dependencies. For a more detailed explanation of WAI-ARIA please refer to the WAI-ARIA Introduction and how it applies to Rich Internet Application Accessibility. This specification is a modular extension to designed for the digital publishing industry and it is derived from the EPUB Structural Semantics Vocabulary.

Target Audience

This specification defines the basic model for WAI-ARIA, including roles, states, and properties, and values. It impacts several audiences:

Each conformance requirement indicates the audience to which it applies.

Although this specification is applicable to the above audiences, it is not specifically targeted to, nor is it intended to be the sole source of information for, any of these audiences. In the future, additional documents will be created to assisting authors in applying these WAI-ARIA semantics for the digital book publishing industry as well as define how the information in this document is mapped to platform accessibility APIs.

User Agent Support

WAI-ARIA relies on user agent support for its features in two ways:

Aside from using this markup to improve what is exposed to accessibility APIs, user agents behave as they would natively. Assistive technologies react to the extra information in the accessibility API as they already do for the same information on non-web content. User agents that are not assistive technologies, however, need do nothing beyond providing appropriate updates to the accessibility API.

The WAI-ARIA specification neither requires or forbids user agents from enhancing native presentation and interaction behaviors on the basis of this markup. Mainstream user agents, such as EPUB book readers, might respond to voice recognition commands to navigate to landmarks areas defined in this specification with the intention to facilitate navigation for all users. User agents are encouraged to maximize their usefulness to users, including users without disabilities.

The intent of this specification is to provide missing semantics so that the intent of the author may be conveyed to assistive technologies. Generally, authors using this WAI-ARIA module will provide the appropriate presentation and interaction features. Over time, host languages may add WAI-ARIA equivalents that are implemented as standard accessible user interface elemnts by the user agent. This allows authors to use them instead of custom WAI-ARIA enabled user interface components. In this case the user agent would support the native host language feature. Developers of host languages that implement Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA features are advised to continue supporting these features when they do not adversely conflict with implicit host language semantics, as these semantics more clearly reflect the intent of the author if the host language features are inadequate to meet the author's needs.

Co-Evolution of WAI-ARIA and Host Languages

The Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA module is intended to augment semantics in supporting languages like [[HTML5]], [[SVG2]], and EPUB, or to be used as an accessibility enhancement technology in other markup-based languages that do not explicitly include support for ARIA. It clarifies semantics to assistive technologies when authors create new types of objects, via style and script, that are not yet directly supported by the language of the page, because the invention of new types of objects is faster than standardized support for them appears in web languages.

It is not appropriate to create objects with style and script when the host language provides a semantic element for that type of objects. While WAI-ARIA can improve the accessibility of these objects, accessibility is best provided by allowing the user agent to handle the object natively. For example, it's not better to use an heading role on a div element than it is to use a native heading element, such as an h1.

It is expected that, over time, host languages will evolve to provide semantics for objects that currently can only be declared with this specification. This is natural and desirable, as one goal of WAI-ARIA is to help stimulate the emergence of more semantic and accessible markup. When native semantics for a given feature become available, it is appropriate for authors to use the native feature and stop using this module for that feature. Legacy content may continue to use the Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA module, however, so the need for user agents to support it remains.

While specific features of this module may lose importance over time, the general possibility of the Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA module to add semantics to web pages or open web based standares, such as EPUB, is expected to be a persistent need. Host languages may not implement all the semantics this module provides, and various host languages may implement different subsets of the features. New types of objects are continually being developed, and one goal of this specification is to provide a way to make such objects accessible, because authoring practices often advance faster than host language standards. In this way, this module and host languages both evolve together but at different rates.

Some host languages exist to create semantics for features other than the user interface. For example, SVG expresses the semantics behind production of graphical objects, not of user interface components that those objects may represent; XForms provides semantics for form controls and does not provide wider user interface features. Host languages such as these might, by design, not provide native semantics that map to this specification's features. In these cases, the Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA module could be adopted as a long-term approach to add semantic information to these host languages.

Authoring Practices

Authoring Tools

Many of the requirements in the definitions of the WAI-ARIA and Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA roles, states, and properties can be checked automatically during the development process, similar to other quality control processes used for validating code. To assist authors who are creating digital books, such as EPUB, can compare the semantic structure of Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA roles from the DOM to that defined in this specification and notify the author of errors or simply create templates that enforce that structure.

Testing Practices and Tools

The accessibility of interactive content cannot be confirmed by static checks alone. Developers of interactive content should test for device-independent access to widgets and applications, and should verify accessibility API access to all content and changes during user interaction.

Assistive Technologies

Programmatic access to accessibility semantics is essential for assistive technologies. Most assistive technologies interact with user agents, like other applications, through a recognized accessibility API. Perceivable objects in the user interface are exposed to assistive technologies as accessible objects, defined by the accessibility API interfaces. To do this properly, accessibility information – roles, states and properties, as well as contextual information – needs to be accurately conveyed to the assistive technologies through the accessibility API. When a state change occurs, the user agent provides the appropriate event notification to the accessibility API. Contextual information, in many host languages like HTML, can be determined from the DOM itself as it provides a contextual tree hierarchy.

While some assistive technologies interact with these accessibility APIs, others may access the content directly from the DOM. These technologies can restructure, simplify, style, or reflow the content to help a different set of users. Common use cases for these types of adaptations may be the aging population, persons with cognitive impairments, or persons in environments that interfere with use of their tools. For example, the availability of regional navigational landmarks may allow for a mobile device adaptation that shows only portions of the content at any one time based on its semantics. This could reduce the amount of information the user needed to process at any one time. In other situations it may be appropriate to replace a custom user interface control with something that is easier to navigate with a keyboard, or touch screen device.

These requirements for semantic programmatic access parallel future specifications designed to map the features of this document to platform accessibility APIs.

This specification indicates whether a section is normative or informative. Classifying a section as normative or informative applies to the entire section. A statement "This section is normative" or "This section is informative" applies to all sub-sections of that section.

Normative sections provide requirements that authors, user agents, and assistive technologies MUST follow for an implementation to conform to this specification.

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.

Important Terms

Digital Publishing Roles

This section defines additions to the WAI-ARIA role taxonomy and describes the characteristics and properties of all roles. See ARIA Roles for descriptions of the fields provided by this module.

Definition of Roles

Below is an alphabetical list of WAI-ARIA roles to be used by rich internet application authors.

Abstract roles are used for the ontology. Authors MUST NOT use abstract roles in content.

Placeholder for compact list of roles

abstract

A short summary of the principle ideas, concepts and conclusions of the work, or of a section or excerpt within it.

<section role="abstract">
<p>Accessibility of web content requires semantic information about widgets, structures, 
   and behaviors …</p>
</section>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: region
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB abstract [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
afterword

A closing statement from the author or a person of importance, typically providing insight into how the content came to be written, its significance, or related events that have transpired since its timeline.

<body role="afterword">
   <hi>Afterword: Why I Wrote This Book</h1>
   …
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: landmark
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB afterword [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
appendix

A section of supplemental information located after the primary content that informs the content but is not central to it.

<section role="appendix">
   <h1>Appendix A. Historical Timeline</h1>
   …
</section>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:
Superclass Role: landmark
Subclass Roles:
Base Concept:
Related Concepts: EPUB appendix [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:
Supported States and Properties:
Inherited States and Properties:
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:
Implicit Value for Role:
biblioentry

A single reference to an external source in a bibliography. A biblioentry typically provides more detailed information than its reference(s) in the content (e.g., full title, author(s), publisher, publication date, etc.).

<section role="bibliography">
   <h1>Cited Works</h1>
   <ul>
      <li role="biblioentry" id="b8cab5dd-bc24-459c-9858-7afa9da69b64">
         John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath (New York: The Viking Press, 1939)
      </li>
      …
   </ul>
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: listitem
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB biblioentry [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role: bibliography
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: True
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
bibliography

A list of external references cited in the work, which may be to print or digital sources.

<section role="bibliography">
   <h1>Select Bibliography</h1>
   <ul>
      …
   </ul>
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role:
  • landmark
  • list
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB bibliography [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements: biblioentry
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
biblioref

A reference to a bibliography entry.

<p>
   As <a role="biblioref" 
      href="#b8cab5dd-bc24-459c-9858-7afa9da69b64">Steinbeck</a> 
   says in his great novel …
</p>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: link
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB biblioref [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author content
Accessible Name Required: True
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
chapter

A major thematic section of content in a work.

<body role="chapter">
   <h1>Chapter 1. Loomings.</h1>
   …
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: landmark
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB chapter [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
cover

A section that introduces the work, often consisting of a marketing image, the title, author and publisher, and select quotes and reviews.

<body role="cover">
   <img src="coverimage.jpg" alt="A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf"/>
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: none
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB cover [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
epilogue

A concluding section of narrative that wraps up or comments on the actions and events of the work, typically from a future perspective.

<body role="epilogue">
   <header>
      <h1>Epilogue</h1>
      <p>SPOKEN BY PROSPERO</p>
   </header>
   <p>Now my charms are all o'erthrown, …</p>
   …
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: landmark
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB epilogue [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
footnote

Ancillary information, such as a citation or commentary, that provides additional context to a referenced passage of text.

<aside id="6baa07af" role="footnote">
   Additional results of this study and similar studies can be found at …
</aside>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: section
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB footnote [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required:  
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
footnotes

A collection of footnotes.

<section role="footnotes">
   <p id="6baa07af" role="footnote">Additional results of this study can be found at … </p>
   <p id="7b2c0555" role="footnote">…</p>
   …
</section>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: landmark
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB footnotes [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements: footnote
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
foreword

An introductory section that precedes the work, typically not written by the author of the work.

<body role="foreword">
   <h1>Foreword</h1>
   …
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: landmark
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB foreword [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
glossary

A brief dictionary of new, uncommon or specialized terms used in the content.

<dl role="glossary">
   …
   <dt id ="bcc0f155" role="glossterm">Credit default swap</dt>
   <dd role="glossdef">
      A credit default swap effectively insures against 
      default by a borrower.
   <dd>
   …
</dl>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: landmark
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB glossary [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements: glossdef, glossterm
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  

Editorial Note: For HTML usage context, we would like to say that if the glossary role is carried by a dl element, the glossterm and glossdef roles are implied on its dt and dd children respectively (cf. http://www.idpf.org/epub/dict/#sec-2.3). Host language-specific implication patterns are not specified in this document though, right?

glossdef

The definition of a term in a glossary.

Editorial Note: It is anticipated that this role will not be necessary once both term and definition roles are available in WAI-ARIA 1.1.

Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: definition
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB glossdef [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role: glossary
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required:  
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
glossref

A reference to a glossary definition.

<p>
   This is indicated in the cost of a 
   <a href="#bcc0f155" role="glossref">credit default swap</a> …
</p>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: link
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB glossref [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author content
Accessible Name Required: True
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  

We dont say that the the glossref links necessarily be activatable (at all times or at all); is inheriting from role=link still ok?

glossterm

A glossary term.

Editorial Note: It is anticipated that this role will not be necessary once both term and definition roles are available in WAI-ARIA 1.1.

Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: term (cf. issue 657)
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB glossterm [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role: glossary
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: content
Accessible Name Required:  
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
index

A navigational aid that provides a detailed list of links to key subjects, names and other important topics covered in the work.

<section role="index">
   <h1>Index</h1>
   <section>
      <h2>A</h2>
      <ul>
         <li>A/B testing, <a href="chapter03.xhtml#page230">230</a></li>
         …
      </ul>
   </section>
   …
<body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role:
  • directory
  • landmark
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB index [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
locator

A link that allows the user to jump to a related location in the content (e.g., from a footnote to its reference, from an index entry to where the topic is discussed, or from a glossary definition to where the term is used).

<aside id="fn01" role="footnote">
   <a role="locator" href="#fnref01">1.</a>
   Additional results of this study and
   similar studies can be found at …
</aside>

Editorial Note: The name and definition for this end of what are typically bidirectional linking relationships are still under consideration.

Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: link
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB referrer [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author content
Accessible Name Required: True
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
noteref

A reference to a footnote, typically appearing as a superscripted number or symbol in the main body of text.

<p> … as studies have shown.<a id="fnref01" role="noteref">[1]</a>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: link
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB noteref [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author content
Accessible Name Required: True
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
notice

Notifies the user of consequences that might arise from an action or event. Examples include warnings, cautions and dangers.

<section role="notice">
   <img src="warning.png" alt="warning icon">
   <p>Just because you can include a font doesn’t mean you should.
      Think carefully about readability. Also, be respectful of intellectual property.
      There are many excellent free open source fonts available.</p>
</section>

Authors SHOULD include a label when the notice needs to be navigable to.

<div role="notice" aria-label="Explosion Risk">
   <p><em>Danger!</em> Mixing reactive materials may cause an explosion.</p>
</div>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: region
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB notice [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
pagebreak

A separator denoting the position before which a break occurs between two contiguous pages in a statically paginated version of the content.

<span id="pg04" role="pagebreak" title="4"/>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: separator
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB pagebreak [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: content
Accessible Name Required: True
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational: True
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
pagelist

A navigational aid that provides a list of links to the pagebreaks in the content.

<nav role="pagelist">
   <ol>
      <li><a href="chapter.xhtml#Page_1">1</a></li>
      <li><a href="chapter.xhtml#Page_2">2</a></li>
      …
   </ol>
</nav>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: navigation
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB page-list [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
part

A major structural division in a work that contains a set of related sections dealing with a particular subject, narrative arc or similar encapsulated theme.

The term "part" is meaningful in publishing and could be helpful beyond publishing, but there is some concern that the term is too vague and could be misapplied. Changing the term to bookpart or similar would restrict the usage unneccessarily.

<body role="part">
   <h1>Part One</h1>
   <section role="chapter">
      <h2>Chapter 1</h2>
      …
   </section>
   …
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract: section
Superclass Role:
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB part [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
preface

An introductory section that precedes the work, typically written by the author of the work.

<body role="preface">
   <h1>Introduction:A Guide to the Galaxy</h1>
   …
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: landmark
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB preface [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
prologue

An introductory section that sets the background to a work, typically part of the narrative.

<body role="prologue">
   <header>
      <h1>Prologue</h1>
      <p>Chorus</p>
   </header>
   <p>Two households, both alike in dignity, …</p>
   …
</body>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: landmark
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB prologue [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
pullquote

A distinctively placed or highlighted quotation from the current content designed to draw attention to a topic or highlight a key point.

<aside role="pullquote">
   Better habits pave the way to growth,
   and growth leads to greater happiness.
</aside>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: none
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB pullquote [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
qna

A section of content structured as a series of questions and answers, such as an interview or list of frequently asked questions.

<section role="qna">
   <h2>Interview with the Author</h2>
   <dl>
      <dt>Q: When did you begin writing this book?</dt>
      <dd>A: I first got the idea …</dt>
      …
   </dl>
</section>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: region
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB qna [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
subtitle

An explanatory or alternate title for the work or a section or component within it.

<header> 
   <h1>Chapter 2 The Battle</h1>
   <p role="subtitle">Once more unto the breach</p>
</header>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: sectionhead
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB subtitle [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  

Not clear if sectionhead is the correct superclass, as a subtitle is not a structural heading.

There is also a publishing case for identifying the subtitle text within a ranked heading (e.g., to differentiate when both title and subtitle are merged).

tip

Helpful information that clarifies some aspect of the content or assists in its comprehension.

<aside role="tip>
   <h3>Tip</h3>
   <p>You can assign a variable a new value that is the result 
      of an expression involving its previous value.</p>
</aside>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: region
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB help [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  
title

The primary name of a document component, such as a list, table or figure.

<figure> 
   <img scr="foo.jpg" alt="meaningul content">
   <figcaption>
      <p role="title">Figure 1. A molecular diagram</p>
      <p>A covalent bond forms …</p>
   </figcaption>
</figure>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: sectionhead
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB title [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  

Not clear if sectionhead is the correct superclass. The purpose is to identify non-structural titles (i.e., where a ranked heading is not appropate).

There is also a publishing case for identifying the title text within a ranked heading (e.g., to differentiate when both title and subtitle are merged, or for content remixing to separate the title from the label and ordinal).

toc

A navigational aid that provides an ordered list of links to the major sectional headings in the content. A table of contents may cover an entire work, or only a smaller section of it.

<nav role="toc">
   <h1>Contents</h1>
   <ol>
      <li><a href="preface_001.xhtml">Original Transcriber’s Notes:</a></li>
      <li><a href="introduction_001.xhtml">ETYMOLOGY.</a></li>
      <li><a href="epigraph_001.xhtml">EXTRACTS (Supplied by a Sub-Sub-Librarian).</a></li>
      <li><a href="chapter_001.xhtml">Chapter 1. Loomings.</a></li>
      …
   </ol>
</nav>
Characteristics:
Characteristic Value
Is Abstract:  
Superclass Role: navigation
Subclass Roles:  
Base Concept:  
Related Concepts: EPUB toc [[EPUB-SSV]]
Required Context Role:  
Required Owned Elements:
Required States and Properties:  
Supported States and Properties:  
Inherited States and Properties:  
Name From: author
Accessible Name Required: False
Inherits Name Required:
Children Presentational:
Inherits Presentational:  
Implicit Value for Role:  

E-book Documents

It may be desirable to provide information here about how e-book document formats and readers will incorporate and process the roles.

Schemata

The HTML Working Group has incorporated the WAI-ARIA attributes into HTML 5. Official support for WAI-ARIA in HTML is provided in that specification.

Editorial Note: Validation support for the roles defined in this module will be added once the specification reaches recommendation.

For information on incorporating WAI-ARIA into other grammars, refer to Appendix A of [[WAI-ARIA]]

Editorial Note: Review whether any additional schemata are necessary for this module.

Change Log

Substantive changes since the last public working draft

Other substantive changes since the First Public Working Draft

WAI-ARIA Role, State, and Property Quick Reference

The following table provides a quick reference to the supported states and properties for all WAI-ARIA roles that may be used in markup.

In addition to the states and properties shown in the table, the following global states and properties are supported on all roles.

Placeholder for global states and properties

Placeholder for quick reference table