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Re: Minimal style needed to make links accessible?

for

From: Karlen Communications
Date: Aug 24, 2010 9:30AM


It would be the same for people with visual disabilities or learning
disabilities. We would be waving our mice over content looking for "hot
spots" we could activate. I don't really have time to do that so would not
find any of the hoverable links.

As an aside I am so used to underlined text being links that I often try to
activate underlined text on pages or in documents where the link is not
easily recognizable. When that fails/LOL I assume there are no links on the
page.

Cheers, Karen

-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Tim Harshbarger
Sent: August-24-10 10:54 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Minimal style needed to make links accessible?

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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