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Thread: Are ambiguous links awful even when there's surrounding context?
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From: Jeremy Echols
Date: Tue, Apr 02 2019 8:21AM
Subject: Are ambiguous links awful even when there's surrounding context?
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Background: we're trying to prioritize problems in a third-party application where remediation can be expensive. To say the least.
I am aware that when there's *only* a "view more" link, it's not helpful, but what about when that link is in a list alongside related links? For instance, we have a list of facets. Within the "author" section, there are 10 or so linked names followed by a "View more" link. Then there's another section for Subjects, etc. Each section is under an h2-level heading, and each list of links is within an unordered list tag (ul).
I'm aware this isn't ideal, but are we looking at a AA failure?
From: Laura Fathauer
Date: Tue, Apr 02 2019 8:28AM
Subject: Re: Are ambiguous links awful even when there's surrounding context?
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If the author name and "view more" are in the same list item, then
that would clearly be within the link "context":
" includes text that is in the same paragraph, list, or table cell as
the link or in a table header cell that is associated with the table
cell that contains the link. "
However, screen reader users using just a list of links or tabbing
through links will just hear the "view more." In that case, you might
apply the aria-describedby attribute to the link and reference the ID
of the name.
Laura
On Tue, Apr 2, 2019 at 10:21 AM Jeremy Echols < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> Background: we're trying to prioritize problems in a third-party application where remediation can be expensive. To say the least.
>
> I am aware that when there's *only* a "view more" link, it's not helpful, but what about when that link is in a list alongside related links? For instance, we have a list of facets. Within the "author" section, there are 10 or so linked names followed by a "View more" link. Then there's another section for Subjects, etc. Each section is under an h2-level heading, and each list of links is within an unordered list tag (ul).
>
> I'm aware this isn't ideal, but are we looking at a AA failure?
> > > >
From: Maupin, Brennan Polaris McCaffrey - maupinbp
Date: Tue, Apr 02 2019 8:31AM
Subject: Re: Are ambiguous links awful even when there's surrounding context?
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I am new to this so take my opinion for what it is worth, but if I am correct, if there is surrounding text that provides context, it is AA compliant. I am aware that you cannot use guidelines to pass/fail something; however, it is useful that in a couple of their advisory techniques w3c gives specific examples of unclear (out of context) links in enclosed lists preceded by descriptive headings.
I was actually pretty surprised that this was this was passing criterion. I have always heard it is best practice to use descripting link text for the links-list-view on screen readers. That looks like it is AAA criterion, however.
-Brennan Maupin