[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #31654: List tables: Select All shouldn't be a column header

[WordPress Trac]

#31654: List tables: Select All shouldn't be a column header
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 Reporter:  afercia            |      Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)       |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal             |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Administration     |    Version:  4.1
 Severity:  normal             |   Keywords:
  Focuses:  ui, accessibility  |
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 Column headers make perfectly sense when they represent the data type of
 their columns but the content of this `th` is just a checkbox with a
 "Select All" label.

 See screenshot for reference:

 [[Image(https://cldup.com/6NAuNXEpIy.png)]]

 As it is now, it sets a relationship with all the checkboxes in its
 column, we're basically saying that all the checkboxes are someway related
 to "Select All".

 Any software, including screen readers, will get this relationship. Screen
 readers in fact read out the column headers content for each row in the
 table so when you're in the second, third row etc. they will read out:

 > "Select All"
 > "Select {Post name}" <-- or "Select Comment" etc. depending on the
 various screens
 > "Select All"
 > "Select {Second Post name}"
 > "Select All"
 > "Select {Third Post name}"
 > ...

 That's not only redundant but it's also conveying a wrong information.

 This was also reported by @bramd (Bram Duvigneau) during one of the
 accessibility testers group testing sessions:

 ''"The "select all" checkbox shouldn't be marked as column header. This
 causes NVDA, and probably other screen readers as well, to announce
 (Select all, select Post name) when tabbing through the table"''

 Proposed patch just changes the Select All `th` in a `td`, a very little
 change that greatly reduces noise for screen readers giving also a correct
 information. Includes CSS tweaking as required.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/31654>
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