Datagrid inline editing autofocus and accessibility

Question

We have a data list on which we can directly edit.

When clicking on the pencil, the line goes from view mode to a form.

That mechanism works well for our users but doesn't feel fast enough yet. We think that adding the focus on the first field whenever the line goes from view mode to edit mode could help.

It seems to cause a problem with accessibility, it "ports" screen readers into a form without any context.

Is there a best practice allowing us to keep auto focus and somehow not confuse screen readers?

Answer 1

• Is the pencil icon necessary?
• Is it necessary to repeat the title items?

I would propose to highlight the text area on hover or click and edit it on a second click. When the text edition is on, show at the right the save and cancel icons.