WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: external links & new windows

for

From: Nathalie Sequeira
Date: Dec 6, 2010 1:45AM

Hello Terrill,
thank you very much - I stand abashed, esp. regarding the WCAG-techs,
which I studied not many moons ago (but got all confused over content
vs. context ;))...
I searched further, could not, however, find any more authoritative
sources than the ones you indicated.

The only open-ended thing in this matter remains how to indicate that a
link is external - clearly but at the same time unobtrusively.
And that, I believe, will always have to be a situation-dependent decision.
Thanks again for the help!
Nathalie

Terrill Bennett schrieb:
> But, here's what W3C has to say:
> http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/G200.html
>
> Note W3C doesn't say you CAN'T open links to new windows, but does
> say "...it is better not to open new windows and tabs since they can
> be disorienting for people, especially people who have difficulty
> perceiving visual content." Imagine, for example, people using a
> screen magnifier who may not notice.
>
> Jacob Nielsen's #2 in 1999, and #9 in 2007:
> http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990530.html
> http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html
>
> Dive Into Accessibility says it's not a great idea:
> http://diveintoaccessibility.org/day_16_not_opening_new_windows.html
>
> Jim Thatcher says it's disorienting:
> http://www.jimthatcher.com/knowbility/65t.htm
>
> I'm sure there's more. but this should get you started.
>
> -- terrill --
>
>