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Instead of using special tags to convey meaning, couldn't we just use special attributes? say, a div tag with an 'aria-role' attribute set to menu would indicate a menu, a div tag with an 'aria-role' attribute set to 'checkbox' would indicate a checkbox etc.

That would make creation of visual elements more versatile, keep the number of hacks to minimum (like the hidden input trick for checkboxes), and also make ARIA possible.

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Adding an ARIA role only adds the role, you'd then have to add more to name the element (in place of the missing <label>), to put the element in the tab order, and JavaScript event listeners to handle keyboard input correctly. Doing all that is more complex than using a style reset on an input element and even if you do it all correctly, it's less robust.

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