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Re: Where does invisible link text fail WCAG2?

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From: Lynn Holdsworth
Date: Jul 20, 2015 10:25AM

Hi Jared,

Thanks for your comments.

This is only a failure for keyboard users. the links are invisible to
mouse users because they're replaced by another mechanism. I suspect
the developers have made these available specifically for screenreader
users, but they're likely to cause difficulty for sighted keyboard
users because it's the only mechanism for them too.

I don't have any statistics around how many people use a keyboard to
mitigate for a disability. If there aren't many, then I guess this
turns into a usability issue.

KR, Lynn

On 20/07/2015, Jared Smith < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Lynn Holdsworth wrote:
>
>> Where (if at all) does this one fail WCAG2? Feels like it should be an
>> info and relationships or a labels issue, but I can'tfind a specific
>> criterion to fail it under.
>
> These types of statements always cause me concern. If you can't find a
> WCAG failure would it not be documented as an issue? It's clearly an
> accessibility and usability issue and should be noted as such even if
> it isn't a WCAG failure.
>
> Remember that WCAG only deals with accessibility for users with
> disabilities - if something's inaccessible to nearly everyone (as is
> the case with invisible link text), then it's not a WCAG failure. This
> is why things like white text on a white background (at Level A), 1
> pixel sized text, entirely ambiguous link text (such as "here"), etc.
> are not WCAG failures, even though they are all significant
> accessibility and usability issues.
>
> Jared
> > > > >