I have a UI with radio buttons and comboboxes next to them. The issue is that WCAG tools like Arc Toolkit or Axe report that comboboxes within radiogroups are not compliant. I tried switching the radiogroup to a fieldset, but I’m unsure if that’s the right approach. As a result, the keyboard navigation features from the radiogroup are lost (e.g., Tab/Shift+Tab moves into/out of the group, arrow keys navigate to the next/previous radio). Should this navigation be maintained even when using a fieldset instead? How would you structure the markup to meet WCAG standards?
RCA : Tools like Arc Toolkit or Axe likely flag comboboxes inside role=“radiogroup” because WCAG 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value) requires clear roles for interactive elements. A radiogroup is intended for radio buttons (role=“radio”), and including a combobox (typically role=“combobox”) within it creates an unexpected structure, confusing screen readers. The tools may interpret this as a violation of SC 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) due to improper grouping or role misuse.
Yes, keyboard navigation should be maintained when using /. Per WCAG 2.1.1 (Keyboard), radio buttons in a should:
- If the combobox is inside the , it may be treated as part of the radio group by some browsers or screen readers, disrupting arrow key navigation
- Custom ARIA or JavaScript (e.g., from the original radiogroup) may have implemented specific navigation patterns that doesn’t replicate without additional scripting