Which accessibility attribute helps communicate that a menu item is disabled to assistive technologies?

Which accessibility attribute helps communicate that a menu item is disabled to assistive technologies?

• A. aria-label
• B. aria-disabled
• C. aria-hidden
• D. aria-controls

Answer: (B)

Communicating interactive state to assistive technologies is essential for a usable interface. For a menu item that can’t be used at the moment, the right signal is aria-disabled. Setting aria-disabled="true" tells screen readers and other AT that the item is present but not actionable, so the user understands it’s there but cannot activate it. This is the correct way to convey disabled status in dynamic or custom widgets like a menu, where a native disabled attribute may not apply. aria-label only changes what the item is called, not whether it can be used. aria-hidden would hide the item from AT, which isn’t appropriate when you want the item visible but non-interactive. aria-controls indicates a relationship to another element, not its disabled state. When using aria-disabled, also ensure the item cannot be activated via keyboard or mouse to keep the disabled state consistent.

Communicating interactive state to assistive technologies is essential for a usable interface. For a menu item that can’t be used at the moment, the right signal is aria-disabled. Setting aria-disabled="true" tells screen readers and other AT that the item is present but not actionable, so the user understands it’s there but cannot activate it. This is the correct way to convey disabled status in dynamic or custom widgets like a menu, where a native disabled attribute may not apply.

aria-label only changes what the item is called, not whether it can be used. aria-hidden would hide the item from AT, which isn’t appropriate when you want the item visible but non-interactive. aria-controls indicates a relationship to another element, not its disabled state. When using aria-disabled, also ensure the item cannot be activated via keyboard or mouse to keep the disabled state consistent.