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Re: [WEBAIM] Underlining Links

for

From: Juliette McShane
Date: Sep 29, 2022 12:22PM

Hi all!

I'm usually a quiet observer of this list, but I wanted to clarify
something that Sandy said.

The failure condition F73 that Sandy cited is related to SC 1.4.1 Use of
Color https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/non-text-contrast.html .
This can be a tricky one to understand.

This failure condition applies IF color has been used to indicate that
something is a link AND that link is in a 'block of text'. If both of those
things are true, then the link requires an additional non-color indication
that it is a link. This is commonly an underline, but may be applying a
heavier font weight or italicizing, changing font family, increasing text
size...

IF you choose to apply hover styes, they must meet SC 1.4.11
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/non-text-contrast

The focus indicator for links also must meet SC 1.4.11.

None of these SC require that a link is underlined. It is an irritation of
mine that WCAG, in fact, does not have a failure related to not styling a
link differently than unlinked text. The logic for that is basically that
an undifferentiated link is pretty awful for everyone,so disabled folks
aren't disadvantaged.

On Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 11:00 AM < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. experiences using axe auditor (Nathan Clark)
> 2. underlining links ( <EMAIL REMOVED> )
> 3. Re: underlining links (Sandy Feldman)
> 4. Re: underlining links (Patrick H. Lauke)
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Nathan Clark < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
> Cc:
> Bcc:
> Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2022 11:04:42 -0400
> Subject: [WebAIM] experiences using axe auditor
> Dear list,
> Does anyone have any experience using axe auditor tool and do you find
> the tool to be useful when doing accessibility testing? Thanks.
>
> Sincerely,
> Nathan Clark
>
>
>
> --
> Nathan Clark
> QA Automation Analyst Tech team
> Accessibility assistant
> CPACC
> cell: 410-446-7259
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>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> To: "'WebAIM Discussion List'" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> Cc:
> Bcc:
> Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2022 12:37:16 -0400
> Subject: [WebAIM] underlining links
> Raging debate today in my group: should all links be underlined? Is it a
> WCAG success criteria?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Jon
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Sandy Feldman < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> Cc:
> Bcc:
> Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2022 13:33:03 -0400
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] underlining links
>
> hey Jon,
>
> https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/F73.html
>
> says "Link underlines or *some other non-color visual distinction* are
> required".
>
> so yeah, I don't think the underline is strictly necessary.
>
> For example you generally don't see underlines in navigation links and
> they make sense. In the content the underline is a convention we all
> understand and that helps make it usable. I've seen sites where the content
> links are bold and that makes sense too - just takes an extra second to see
> what they're doing.
> Sandy
>
> sandyfeldman.com
> a11yready.com <https://www.a11yready.com/>
>
>
> On 2022-09-29 12:37 p.m., Jon Brundage via WebAIM-Forum wrote:
>
> Raging debate today in my group: should all links be underlined? Is it a
> WCAG success criteria?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Jon
>
> > > > >
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "Patrick H. Lauke" < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
> To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
> Cc:
> Bcc:
> Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2022 18:41:26 +0100
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] underlining links
> On 29/09/2022 17:37, Jon Brundage via WebAIM-Forum wrote:
> > Raging debate today in my group: should all links be underlined? Is it a
> > WCAG success criteria?
>
> No, and no.
>
> --
> Patrick H. Lauke
>
> https://www.splintered.co.uk/ | https://github.com/patrickhlauke
> https://flickr.com/photos/redux/ | https://www.deviantart.com/redux
> twitter: @patrick_h_lauke | skype: patrick_h_lauke
>
>
> > > > >