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Thread: CSS link backgrounds
Number of posts in this thread: 3 (In chronological order)
From: Tony Trott
Date: Mon, Jul 08 2002 11:34AM
Subject: CSS link backgrounds
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Hi. What is the purpose of the yellow backgrounds for links (like on the WebAIM homepage and, I believe, the CAST homepage)? I have searched for info about this but haven't found any. Is it an accessibility issue or is just to make navigation be more clear? I like it but I know that people are going to ask
From: Paul Bohman
Date: Mon, Jul 08 2002 12:17PM
Subject: RE: CSS link backgrounds
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WebAIM did not implement this only for accessibility purposes. At the
time the site was designed, it was done more for the style and
"artistic" effect, if you want to call it that. Still, we were aware
that such effects may be of benefit to those with low vision, or even to
the general population, because links are more easily identified as
such. The links become more obvious. Visual cues can be useful when used
properly.
If you're wondering about the choice of yellow versus some other color,
we chose yellow because of it is an eye-catching color that stands out
against most backgrounds. We could have chosen orange or red, or some
other color (assuming that the text is still readable when the
highlighted color shows up), but yellow seemed to work better with our
color scheme on the site, and its usage, as you pointed out, is fairly
common.
Paul Bohman
Technology Coordinator
WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind)
www.webaim.org
Center for Persons with Disabilities
www.cpd.usu.edu
Utah State University
www.usu.edu
From: Tony Trott
Date: Mon, Jul 08 2002 12:44PM
Subject: Re: CSS link backgrounds
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MessageThanks, Paul. I am just learning CSS and seeing as that background for links is so easy to implement and helpful, why is not totally standard?
Does it do anything to JAWS or Window Eyes (or any other screenreader)?
Tony
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Bohman
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 3:13 PM
Subject: RE: CSS link backgrounds
WebAIM did not implement this only for accessibility purposes. At the time the site was designed, it was done more for the style and "artistic" effect, if you want to call it that. Still, we were aware that such effects may be of benefit to those with low vision, or even to the general population, because links are more easily identified as such. The links become more obvious. Visual cues can be useful when used properly.
If you're wondering about the choice of yellow versus some other color, we chose yellow because of it is an eye-catching color that stands out against most backgrounds. We could have chosen orange or red, or some other color (assuming that the text is still readable when the highlighted color shows up), but yellow seemed to work better with our color scheme on the site, and its usage, as you pointed out, is fairly common.
Paul Bohman
Technology Coordinator
WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind)
www.webaim.org
Center for Persons with Disabilities
www.cpd.usu.edu
Utah State University
www.usu.edu