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Re: Minimal style needed to make links accessible?

for

From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Aug 24, 2010 8:54AM

Is this actually a perceivability issue or an understandability issue?

I mean isn't the problem we really want to solve "how does the user know
this is a link?" How are the themes indicating that these elements are
links? Actually, I suppose we really just want the user to know the
elements are clickable and convey some idea of what the user can expect
if he or she clicks the element. The user doesn't need to think it is a
link necessarily.

I think once you know what about the link makes people think they can
click it, you can answer the perceivability issue. If it is color, I
assume you will need to ensure it contrasts well against the background
and that it is possible for users to tell it is a different color from
other non-interactive elements on the page.

However, please don't make the users have to hold their mouse over the
element to figure out if it is clickable. That is just poor usability.
And if that is the only way to tell visually, I imagine most people
using voice recognition are going to remain totally unaware of those
interactive elements--unless they suddenly feel the impulse to try to
interact with elements that look non-interactive.

Thanks!
Tim

-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of E.J. Zufelt
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 1:06 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: [WebAIM] Minimal style needed to make links accessible?

Good afternoon,

I would like to know if anyone has a suggestion for the minimal style
necessary to make links distinguishable fron non-link text? One or more
of the Drupal 7 core themes use only colour to distinguish links fron
non-link text. Using the standard underline has been decided against
for stylistic reasons (which really aren't worth debating).

So, in short, when a link does not use the standard underline, what is
the minimal stylistic difference it must have from the non-link text on
the page to maintain perceivability?

Thanks,
Everett Zufelt
http://zufelt.ca

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