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Re: Links opening in new windows - 3.2.2

for

From: Jared Smith
Date: Aug 5, 2014 11:38AM

Katie wrote:

> But, by the normative WCAG 2 document the
> success criteria says 'user interface component'
> and that term on *that* same page says 'links' are
> a 'user interface component'.

The success criteria reads in full, "Changing the setting of any user
interface component does not automatically cause a change of context
unless the user has been advised of the behavior before using the
component."

You correctly state that a link is a user interface component. "Change
of context" is defined to include moving focus and opening new pages.

So let's follow your flawed logic a bit. You suggest that activating a
link is "changing the setting" of that link. I disagree. How does
activating a link "change the setting" of that link to cause it to
open a new window? It doesn't. The fact that the link is programmed to
open a new window does not change by the user activating it. The
change is not user initiated, but author defined.

And this doesn't even consider the flawed suggestion that activating a
link is "input" to begin with.

But let's say that you're correct and that activating a link is also
"changing the setting" of that link. This means that activating any
link that "automatically causes a change of context" (new window, move
focus, or open a new page) would be a failure. If this is the case,
then ALL links (at least any that do anything useful) fail 3.2.2. The
only way to pass SC3.2.2 would be to identify that all links cause a
change of context, which, by definition, is what links do.

You can't define activating a link as "input" and as "changing a
setting" and then pick and choose which types of changes of context
(only new windows or dialogs, but not change of focus or new pages?)
would be a failure.

> F76: Failure of Success Criterion 3.2.2 due to
> providing instruction material about the change
> of context by change of setting in a user interface
> element at a location that users may bypass

That's is so unintelligible I can hardly comment on it. I'm also
pretty sure it should read "due to NOT providing...", otherwise adding
the instructions results in the failure.

Anyway, the text of this failure talks about "unexpected change of
context due to change of user interface setting". How can a change of
context be unexpected if the user initiates it by clicking a link? As
above, by this flawed logic any user-activated change of context
(links, buttons, etc.) would be a failure.

Jared