A business website can have Services expanded while the visitor is reading Contact. Commission these as two separate states. Otherwise a highlighted dropdown button can falsely identify the current page, and a keyboard user may be stranded when its links disappear.
Primary evidence and claim boundaries
W3C’s disclosure navigation example uses aria-expanded on a button and aria-current on the current link. Typical site navigation does not require the complex ARIA menu role; the example requires testing before production use. Primary reference · Read 18 October 2026.
Filled acceptance example
Original synthetic teaching scenario, not a client case, provider integration test or business result. The example policy needs the actual owner’s approval; scroll the table on narrow screens.
| Input and state | Declared check | Expected output and decision |
|---|---|---|
| Current Contact; Services closed | Activate Services button | expanded=true; Contact remains current |
| Services open; focus on SEO link | Escape under this chosen pattern | Close list; return focus to Services button |
| Collapsed Services | Continue with Tab | Hidden SEO link must not remain in tab sequence |
| Activate Website service link | Destination loads | New matching link becomes current; opening alone did not navigate |
Practical handover procedure
- Choose a disclosure-navigation pattern explicitly. Specify which buttons only expand a list and which links navigate; give every controlled list a unique ID.
- Run the four transitions with keyboard and pointer. Record expanded attributes, actual visibility, current-link marker and focus destination at each transition.
- Test leaving and re-entering navigation on a small screen. A mobile layout must not leave focus inside a hidden desktop list.
Interpret the outcome
Open describes the control; current describes the destination. A correct handover can reconstruct both from the record even when they refer to different sections. The Escape expectation belongs to the selected pattern and must agree with the actual implementation; decorative chevrons are not evidence.
Acceptance decision
Require no focusable hidden links and a meaningful focus return after dismissal. Verify with the supported assistive technologies rather than treating ARIA attributes as certification.
Limits and unverified work
Synthetic state table, not copied APG production code. It does not authorise modifying any frozen navigation or forcing menu roles onto ordinary links.
Download the filled bilingual acceptance record — Contains the inputs, steps, expectations and limits. This is a teaching record, not an executable production integration.