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Re: advice on page with Non-distinguishable links

for

From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Dec 4, 2016 5:03AM

The accessible name calculation algorithm maps a link's title
attribute to its accessible description property if there is another
source of accessible name.
Screen readers choose (correctly in my opinion) to only announce
accessible description in forms mode or when element receives focus.
In this case, if you are exploring the page in browse mode you see the
heading before the link list, so you know the context of the links and
don't need the description.
If you traverse the page with the tab key you have a harder time
seeing the headings (though you can easily) so additional title
attribute may be helpful.
aria-label is tricky. It overrides the visible link text, and creates
potentially a different experience for screen readers (also remember
the first rule of ARIA). Only use it if the link has no visible text
(.e.g. links with CSS background images).
As Jared pointed out, including a large blob of visually hidden
explanatory text in links does not equate to a good screen reader
experience.
General recommendation for effective link text is to keep it short,
same applies when users listen to the link text.




On 12/3/16, Jonathan C. Cohn < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> When using the title attribute most screen reader browser combinations speak
> title and screen text when tabbing between links but not when using screen
> reader navigation.
>
> Is there a disadvantage to aria labels in text links?
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Jonathan Cohn
>
>> On Dec 2, 2016, at 3:28 AM, Julie Chan Watson
>> < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>
>> Hi
>> I read a great article about the use of the title attribute on links, and
>> how screen readers handle them.
>> Advice was to not use them as they are not read out by screen readers,
>> unless there is no link text at all.
>> Recommendation was to add all the text you need as the link text, and put
>> <span> around the screen reader specific bits. and hide from other users
>> with css.
>>
>> https://silktide.com/i-thought-title-text-improved-accessibility-i-was-wrong/
>> <https://silktide.com/i-thought-title-text-improved-accessibility-i-was-wrong/>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Julie Chan Watson
>> Web Developer
>> Corporate Information & Computing Services (CiCS)
>> The University of Sheffield
>>
>>
>>>> On 30 Nov 2016, at 19:46, Jonathan Avila < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> That's correct. SC 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) does not require the
>>>> link text itself to determine its purpose.
>>>
>>> The thinking behind this was that a screen reader user could keep their
>>> focus on the link and use other common screen reader commands to access
>>> other contextual information. For example, screen readers often provide
>>> commands to read the header, sentence, paragraph, and list item without
>>> requiring the user to move focus.
>>>
>>> As for the links list -- I'd consider that a feature request to screen
>>> reader vendors. As far as I know even if title is used JAWS will only
>>> display the title in the list of links if there isn't link text there
>>> already. Aria-label should work.
>>>
>>> Jonathan
>>>
>>> Jonathan Avila
>>> Chief Accessibility Officer
>>> SSB BART Group
>>> <EMAIL REMOVED>
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