Hidden vs. Disabled In UX — Smashing Magazine
Here is the prompt I used. Feel free to modify for your own secondary research purposes:
Research and describe the usability implications of different ways of handling unavailable or inactive buttons, commands, and other features in a graphical user interface. These disabled features are those that are sometimes available for the user to use, but... See more
Research and describe the usability implications of different ways of handling unavailable or inactive buttons, commands, and other features in a graphical user interface. These disabled features are those that are sometimes available for the user to use, but... See more
Inactive GUI Controls: Show, Disable, or Hide?
Disabling buttons can cause more problems for users than benefits.
Missing feedback
When you click a disabled button, nothing happens. The button doesn’t explain what’s wrong or help you fix the problem. It provides no helpful feedback. If the user thinks their answers are correct, not providing feedback can make the UI feel broken.
Missing focus
Disab
... See moreManuel Matuzovic • Web Accessibility Cookbook
If the user has to click an icon to discover its function, they will be knocked off course.