WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Design conflict with link names

for

From: Neil King
Date: Mar 23, 2006 8:10AM

Hi All

A web page might have to contain 'artefacts' that would have to convey
information to one user group but not another. For example, we may want
to inform users that there is a link to a radio broadcast. For screen
reader users the link could be 'Bob Geldof's Live Aid Radio Broadcast',
thus making sense when read out of context. However, we feel that from
a design point of view the length of the link will conflict with
interface issues. Ideally sighted users will see a link entitled 'Radio
Broadcast', but this will be read out of context by a link list fired
up by the screen reader.

Does anyone know a way to get around this problem and it still remain
an accessible design. We are aware that JAWS reads link names rather
than an associated title by default, so do not see the title tag as the
best solution.

Cheers
Neil