WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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Re: Using color to distinguish a visual element

for

From: Waltenberger, Lon (LNI)
Date: Dec 8, 2008 12:55PM

We're not discussing accessibility for blind or deaf users here but for
sighted, low-vision, and color blind users. I suppose we could include
those with not-so-good monitors too. Screen and Braille readers will
announce links.

I prefer to follow Jakob Nielsen's definitions for "standard" and
"convention" found at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20040913.html.

Users expect links to be blue and underlined because they're that way on
at least 80% of the sites they visit.

If users want their links to appear differently than the conventional,
their browser allows them to control that. It's not as cool or shiny but
it's best to allow as much control to the browser user as possible.

Abusing users by forcing them to mine or scrape pages for links merely
frustrates them and breaks trust.