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Re: Color of link text

for

From: Jonathan Avila
Date: Jun 27, 2016 7:17PM

> My question is whether the focus outline itself counts as an additional differentiation, when the link receives focus, if it has the 3:1 contrast between the link and surrounding text. It seems to technically satisfy 1.4.1, but I don't think it should.

Joseph, I often wondered the same thing. F73 does not include test steps saying to focus the links which G183 does and thus currently with F73 a link that just uses color (hue) would fail F73. F73 also does not relate to contrast -- but only focuses on Hue -- so links and text that are differentiated with contrast/lightness could pass F73. This is definitely an area that could use some clarification.

F73: https://www.w3.org/TR/2013/NOTE-WCAG20-TECHS-20130905/F73

In the check for G183 it doesn't seem to say that an outline is not sufficient -- it just says some other visual enhancement but doesn't specify if that enhancement must be on the link text itself or can surround the link text. If you consider image links -- they have similar challenges with the user not knowing they are clickable.

G183 https://www.w3.org/TR/2013/NOTE-WCAG20-TECHS-20130905/G183.html

Jonathan

Jonathan Avila
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-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Joseph Sherman
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 4:31 PM
To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Color of link text

I think there is a confusion. No one is proposing to use the focus outline on non-focused links.



In the WCAG specs for 1.4.1, it says you should have a non-color visual clue like underline. However, you do not NEED a non-color clue for your links if: you have a least 3:1 contrast between the link text and surrounding text, AND an additional differentiation (e.g., it becomes underlined) is provided when the link is hovered over or receives focus.



My question is whether the focus outline itself counts as an additional differentiation, when the link receives focus, if it has the 3:1 contrast between the link and surrounding text. It seems to technically satisfy 1.4.1, but I don't think it should.





Joseph



-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Snahendu Bhattacharya
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 3:48 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Color of link text



Hi Joseph!



I think there is a gap between these two guideline.



By providing additional non color visual clue (1.4.1), you are ensuring your links are clearly and readily identifiable, for the people with or without color vision, immaterial to the fact whether user has focused on the link or not.



Second part is about visible focus (outline/caret line) for the keyboard user (2.4.7), when user uses screen focus to understand their current focused location in the screen, they should be able to do it.



Now if you make the 'caret line/outline' as default identifier/differentiator for your link, that would create confusion for the user who is trying to tab through the page and can't identify any considerable amount of visual change for the links when the links receives focus, as because the caret line/outline is already present.



Preferably the underline (or any other non color differentiator) should be present by default and then on focus to the link, should make a significant change to the focusable element to make the user understand about their current keyboard focus position. Either by removing the underline or adding a outline/caret line (to be consistent).

On Jun 27, 2016 3:15 PM, "Joseph Sherman" < <EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >> wrote:



> In 1.4.1, assuming you cannot get folks to underline their links- if

> you have a 3:1 link and text contrast, does the default focus outline

> count as "additional differentiation" on focus?

>

> "Color alone is not used to distinguish links<

> http://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/>; from surrounding text unless

> the luminance contrast between the link and the surrounding text is at

> least

> 3:1 and an additional differentiation (e.g., it becomes underlined) is

> provided when the link is hovered over or receives focus."

>

>

>

> Joseph

>

>
> > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives

> > <EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >

>