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Re: Definition Lists and Accessibility

for

From: Dennis Deacon
Date: Aug 15, 2015 1:48PM

Thanks for the information on how screen readers handle definition lists.
And I agree about the slippery slope; reminds me when the web standards
movement first started.

One more question: would there be a way to use definition lists for
semantic purposes, while temporarily hacking them so screen readers don't
become confused?

Dennis Deacon



On Sat, Aug 15, 2015 at 10:59 AM, Dennis Deacon < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
wrote:

> I've been a fan of definition lists for a while now. I use them when have
> have a list of paired information, such as a FAQ. To me, this makes
> semantic sense.
>
> During the past few months however, I have receive a sizable amount of
> feedback stating that definition lists can confuse screen reader users and
> should be avoided, with the exception of possibly a glossary of terms.
> While my intent is to do what is accessible, I can't get past the semantics
> of a definition list making sense in other cases. Admittedly, I used it
> more for layout of information, but I've drifted away from that.
>
> Can someone point out specific information on how definition lists can
> confuse screen reader users, and the best alternative for paired lists?
>
> --
> Dennis Deacon
> Email: <EMAIL REMOVED>
> Website/Portfolio: dennisdeacon.com
> Blog: dennisdeacon.com/blog
> LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/dennisdeacon
>



--
Dennis Deacon
Email: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Website/Portfolio: dennisdeacon.com
Blog: dennisdeacon.com/blog
LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/dennisdeacon