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Links

Web links assist all web audiences including assistive technology users navigate web pages. The use of links increases the accessibility, navigability and functionality of web content.

The web audience that uses assistive technologies can access web links easily by listing links and tabbing through them if the links are marked up correctly.

Best Practices For Links

  • Use clear, short and descriptive link names.
  • You may need to reword a sentence to make an in-context link make sense. E.g., "Although disability laws governing higher education do not require..."
  •  Inform the user that selecting a link will cause a specific action/result to occur.The link text should make sense out of context. This is particularly helpful for individuals who use screen readers. The screen reader functionality enables the user to easily navigate to the appropriate content.
    • For example, if applicable, add "(click to enlarge)" to the link name if a smaller version of an image is linked to a larger version.
    • Another example is to indicate if the link goes to an external website by including "(external web site)."
  • When possible, use the title of the destination web page.
  • When linking to documents and pdfs provide the file type text within the link. The user can then determine whether to click on that link to download or view the file.When linking to another web page, do not link to an anchor further down in the body of the destination web page, for this causes confusion for screen-reader users. Instead, link to the top of the main content of the web page.
    • E.g., include "(pdf format)" or "(doc format)" at the end of the link name if selecting the link will open a file.
  • Avoid using links that open up in a new window. For individuals using screen readers, it can be disorientating. It is also difficult to track the history of the web page or pages visited.

Quick Tips

  • Check if text links have meaningful names by reading the text out loud, simulating a screen reader.
  • Avoid underlining if possible. This can become confusing if underlining looks similar to web links.
  • Do not use vague titles such as, “Click Here”, “More”, “Info,” or “Follow" because these link names tell a screen reader nothing about the content of the link.

Resources