New Guidance on Accessible Link Text
Recent technical guidance highlights a common Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) failure: links must have discernible, human-readable text. The guidance warns that misusing attributes like `aria-hidden="true"` can make interactive elements inaccessible to users of screen readers and other assistive technologies.
- The requirement for discernible link text is defined under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.4.4, a Level A success criterion. This is one of the most frequent WCAG failures cited in web accessibility lawsuits. Screen reader software can generate a list of all links on a page, and without descriptive text, a user might hear a list of uninformative phrases like "Read more, Read more, Read more". - Placing `aria-hidden="true"` on a focusable element, such as a link, creates a "keyboard trap". A keyboard user can tab to the element, but the screen reader will not announce it because it has been removed from the accessibility tree, causing confusion. The number of `aria-hidden="true"` attributes on websites has increased by over 250% since 2020. - While hiding decorative icons or offscreen content can improve the experience for assistive technology users, incorrectly hiding interactive elements violates WCAG success criterion 4.1.2. This can prevent users from accessing important information or completing tasks. - The European Union's Web Accessibility Directive requires public sector websites to comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This includes ensuring that the purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from its immediate context. - The European Commission published its Web Accessibility Action Plan for 2022-2025, which includes a commitment to publish accessibility statements on all its websites and mobile apps. This followed a strategic inquiry by the European Ombudsman regarding the accessibility of the Commission's online tools for persons with disabilities. - In addition to discernible text, links must be distinguishable from surrounding text without relying solely on color, which benefits users with low vision or color blindness. WCAG success criterion 1.4.1 requires a color contrast ratio of at least 3:1 between link text and the surrounding text if no other visual cue, like an underline, is used. - Manually testing with a screen reader is crucial because automated tools can flag the presence of `aria-hidden` but cannot always determine if its use is appropriate within the context of the page. Navigating a site using only a keyboard is another key manual test to ensure all interactive elements are reachable and identifiable.
