WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Titles for iframes

for

From: Lynn Holdsworth
Date: Feb 18, 2015 2:50PM

If a non-functional iFrame were given a role of "presentation" would that hide its existence from screenreaders?



> On 10 Feb 2015, at 17:41, Jared Smith < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
> The purpose of the frame title is to convey the content or function of
> the frame as would be available to sighted users. It is required in
> WCAG under the alternative text for non-text elements success criteria
> - the idea being that the iframe is a non-text element.
>
> If the iframe has distinct content or a function, it should be
> conveyed via title. Examples might be that the iframe is an
> advertisement or the title of the movie for an embedded video player
> or, as in Paul's case, that it's a LinkedIn widget.
>
> However, sometimes iframes don't have a distinct visual purpose or
> function. Sometimes the fact an iframe is used in the markup is
> entirely transparent to sighted users. In these cases, adding a title
> to the iframe should not be required. Certainly WCAG doesn't require
> adding alternative text for something that is not a non-text element.
> Doing so would provide unnecessary and extraneous information just for
> screen reader users.
>
> Unfortunately, as Paul has described, many screen readers read extra
> stuff for iframes that do not have titles. This behavior is (I
> believe) incorrect, but is the reality. As such, a very concise
> descriptor of the iframe is likely the best alternative.
>
> Jared
> > >