WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: US v USA

for

From: Alon Fridman Waisbard
Date: May 9, 2017 6:20AM


Tested again with NVDA.
It did not read US as U S.
Not when I used abbr and not with span with aria-label.

On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 3:07 PM, Birkir R. Gunnarsson <
<EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> You can approach this in a few dfferent ways.
> I think it is important to minimize the special coding of acronyms
> just for screen readers, because the screen reader user travels all
> over the web and builds certain expctations for how words are
> pronounced by the sreen reader.
> Here are a few interesting things you can do though:
> 1. Use the <abbr> tag for all acronyms. For common ones like ATM or
> US, I don't think you need to provide a title explaining it, but the
> abbreviation tag should be sufficient hint to screen readers that they
> should spell out the word inside it (I haven't tested this, I will
> today if I get a chance, if not, file a bug with the vendors).
> so <abbr>US</abbr> should be pronounced U S.
> You can also instruct screen reader users about acronyms you use
> frequently and suggest they add them to their screen reader
> dictionaries. USAA actually does this on their accessibility
> nformation page:
> https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/accessibility_at_usaa_
> main?wa_ref=pub_subglobal_footer_accessibility
> (you may have to expand the desktop section to see it).
>
> 3. This is a hac and t is not consistent, but you could use aria-label
> to override the text in a span element:
> <span aria-label="U S">US</span>
> I am not a fan of ths approach except in very rare circumstances, and
> it is not fully supported across all browserscreen reader
> combinations, but it is something that could be done.
> -B
>
> On 5/9/17, Alon Fridman Waisbard < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> > I just listened to this mail with NVDA on Windows, and heard "us" both
> when
> > it was written in upper or lower case.
> > And heard U.S.A. when you wrote USA in the subject.
> > So USA seems better.
> > Though I think that you can also define US as abbreviation of USA or
> United
> > States of America and it'll be read like that.
> >
> > On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 2:44 PM, McGarvey, Paul < <EMAIL REMOVED>
> >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> Given that screenreaders will often try and read out acronymns and
> >> abbreviations with vowels as words, is it best to avoid using US when
> >> referring to the United States of America? Would US dollars be read out
> as
> >> us dollars?
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> Paul McGarvey
> >> Senior Content Editor/Golygydd Cynnwys Uwch
> >> Digital Publishing Division | Is-adran Cyhoeddi Digidol
> >> Room 1.101 | Ystafell 1.101
> >> Office for National Statistics | Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol
> >> Government Buildings | Adeiladau'r Llywodraeth
> >> Cardiff Road | Heol Caerdydd
> >> Newport | Casnewydd
> >> NP10 8XG
> >> Telephone | Ffôn: 01633 45 6019
> >>
> >>
> >> For the latest data on the economy and society, consult National
> >> Statistics at http://www.ons.gov.uk
> >>
> >> ************************************************************
> >> ***********************************
> >> Please Note: Incoming and outgoing email messages are routinely
> monitored
> >> for compliance with our policy
> >> on the use of electronic communications
> >>
> >> ************************************************************
> >> ***********************************
> >>
> >> Legal Disclaimer: Any views expressed by the sender of this message are
> >> not necessarily those of the
> >> Office for National Statistics
> >> ************************************************************
> >> ***********************************
> >> > >> > >> > >> > >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > <EMAIL REMOVED>
> > > > > > > > > >
>
>
> --
> Work hard. Have fun. Make history.
> > > > >



--
<EMAIL REMOVED>