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Re: Minimal style needed to make links accessible?

for

From: Allison Bloodworth
Date: Aug 24, 2010 12:45PM

I think the standard for links is that a) they are a different color from the rest of the text on the page, hopefully with sufficient contract (also note that visited links should be a different color from regular links) and b) the link upon mouseover is underlined, which is an additional cue that they are clickable. The color attracts the user to inspect it further, and then if they do they are given the visual cue for a link--an underline. I definitely wouldn't underline links in text other than on mouseover because as Karen points out then you really can't underline anything else on the page.

Cheers,
Allison

On Aug 24, 2010, at 8:28 AM, Karlen Communications wrote:

> 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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>
>
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