WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Dot Leaders Should Be Seen, but Not heard

for

From: JP Jamous
Date: Apr 12, 2021 12:37PM

In addition to Glen's great feedback, it is important to understand that every screen reader handles non-alphanumeric characters differently. For example, JAWS by default announces the first 3 characters and omits the rest. So you only hear, "---" when the screen shows "--------------------".

While you cannot control how screen readers announce your content, Glen is correct about hiding that from screen reader users. Some users or developers do not like that, but it is a double-edged sword. You have to pick either this or that.

Personally, I do not care for those visual contents as long as I am reading web pages. If I am doing Word editing, I change my screen reader settings to ensure the visual presentation is being conveyed properly. So if you are concerned about how it would be announced, I'd suggest to silence it or hide it. Your users who are browsing just want the content that allows them to make a decision.





=================================================Jean-Pierre Jamous
Principal Digital Accessibility Engineer
Jepelsy LLC

W: (952) 666-2930
M: (952) 666-2930
<EMAIL REMOVED>

"The only limitations in life are those we set for ourselves"
=================================================