An element whose implicit native role semantics will not be mapped to the accessibility API. Sometimes content authors use non semantic HTML tags to bring the expected look on the web page. Due to the use of such HTML tags assistive technologies do not receive accurate information from the accessibility API. For instance, if a webpage is developed using tabular structure the screen readers announce start and end of the table with number of rows and columns. Since these are layout tables start and end information is not required to intimate to the screen reader users. Due to the poor coding techniques redundant information is passed on to the user.
To let the assistive technologies know that these HTML tags are used purely for look and feel of the web page a presentation role is used. The presentation role interacts with the accessibility API and do not pass on the information of table start and table end to the screen reader.
The role presentation just do not provide the structure of the element. It provides the content in them accurately. Following are few instances where presentation (role) can be used.
- Layout tables
- Spacer images
- Decorative images.