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Protocol when writing app instructions

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From: Karin Carlson
Date: Jun 19, 2019 2:35PM

Hello, everyone.

As an instructional designer with experience working on content for
Microsoft, I've been using the Microsoft style guide wordings when writing
instructions that describe doing something in an application. For example,
you click a link or menu, but select a checkbox. Recently, a colleague of
mine told me that, to be compliant with accessibility standards, we should
stop using "click" for any instruction (because it's mouse-centric), and
use "select" instead. So, "click the link" would change to "select the
link" (To be clear, I'm not talking about JS events, this is just written
instructions, as you would find in a learning job aid or quick reference.)

To me this is 100% wrong, because a) it doesn't map to Microsoft (and
other) manual of style; 2) it doesn't describe what you are doing (and I
personally believe that everyone, sighted or not, understands what
"clicking" a button is, and "selecting" is a different action); and 3)
inconsistency is generally not good for UX or for accessibility.

1 - Does anyone know of a reliable resource (like W3C) that has written on
this topic? I can't find anything.
2 - Does anyone have personal experience with testing instruction-type
material where this has come up?

Thanks

Karin
Karin Carlson, MCT, MSOMS
Accessibility Consultant/Trainer
instructional Designer
Applications Instructor