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Re: evaluating accessibility with WCAG 2.0 (Angela French)

for

From: Keith (mteye)
Date: Apr 11, 2011 3:18PM

The p tag primarily is for denoting a new paragraph. Just as in writing on a
piece of paper, it's there to tell where the information changes to another
group of information. Simple.

In the world of html, it also has the handy feature of adding white space,
although the white space can be better dealt with by a style sheet when more
or less is needed. Or in creating other affects. Such as indents, hanging or
otherwise.

I suppose that a p tag could also be handy in separating an object. Wrapping
an element in it to make sure it stood out, with white space around it.
Although a div tag might be the better choice there.

In the case where someone placed a series of p tags, hoping that it has the
same affect as multiple carriage returns on a typewriter, a screen reader
only presents on blank line. As mentioned in another response, Jaws uses the
single key shortcut in browsers, and even html based email clients, for
jumping from paragraph to paragraph. Similar to the windows keystroke of
ctrl+down arrow. This command isn't necessarily based on the p tag, but the
white space on a page. It does the same if the whitespace comes from stacked
up br tags, or a div tag, or table tag, or any that inserts whitespace
before the information it presents.

from
Keith H