A link with empty label Screen reader compatibility
Last updated: December 27, 2017
Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers
Actual Result: causes problems in 29 screen reader / browser combinations
For expected failures, the results show which AT combos the failures affect. Results are recorded from the user's viewpoint, so describe the user impact of authoring errors.
Code used for this test:
<p>Preceding content</p>
<a href='javascript:void(0);'></a>
Change History
Last updated: December 27, 2017
NVDA with IE Causes problems in NVDA 2016.2
NVDA with FF Causes problems in NVDA 2016.2
JAWS with IE Causes problems from JAWS 14.0.9002 to JAWS 17.0.2619
JAWS with FF Causes problems from JAWS 14.0.9002 to JAWS 17.0.2619
VoiceOver OS X Worse - was OK in VoiceOver OSX 10.11, but now causes problems in VoiceOver OSX 10.12
VoiceOver iOS Better - caused problems in VoiceOver iOS 8.4, but now OK in VoiceOver iOS 10.3
WindowEyes with IE Worse - was OK in WindowEyes 8.4, but now causes problems in WindowEyes 9.2
Dolphin with IE OK in Dolphin SR 15.05
Screen reader | Browser | Mode | Notes | What the user hears |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | FF48 | Reading | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | FF48 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, "blank" read out for focusable label. | Blank |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link not displayed, but link URL read out. | Link void zero |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, but link URL read out. | Void zero, link |
![]() | FF41 | Reading | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | FF41 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, "blank" read out for focusable label. | Blank |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link not displayed, but link URL read out. | Link void zero |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, but link URL read out. | Void zero, link |
![]() | FF29 | Reading | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | FF29 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, "blank" read out for focusable label. | Blank |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link not displayed, but link URL read out. | Link void zero |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | FF48 | Reading | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | FF48 | Tabbing | No link displayed, focus indicator very hard to see, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Void left paren zero right paren, link |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | No link displayed, focus indicator very hard to see, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Void left paren zero right paren, link |
![]() | FF41 | Reading | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | FF41 | Tabbing | No link displayed, focus indicator very hard to see, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Void left paren zero right paren, link |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | No link displayed, focus indicator very hard to see, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Void left paren zero right paren, link |
![]() | FF29 | Reading | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | FF29 | Tabbing | No link displayed, focus indicator very hard to see, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Void left paren zero right paren, link |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | No link displayed, focus indicator very hard to see, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Void left paren zero right paren, link |
![]() | FF29 | Reading | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | FF29 | Tabbing | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Void left paren zero right paren, link |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Void left paren zero right paren, link |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | No link displayed, link gibberish read by screen reader. | Link, void left paren zero right paren |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Not visible in browser, and ignored in WindowEyes. | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Text of previous element read as link label. | Link, preceding content |
![]() | Safari 10.1.2 | Reading | No link displayed, "link" read out. | Link |
![]() | Safari 10.1.2 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | Safari 9.1.2 | Reading | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | Safari 9.1.2 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | Safari 9.0.1 | Reading | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | Safari 9.0.1 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | Safari 7.0.3 | Reading | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | Safari 7.0.3 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | Safari iOS 10.3 | Touch | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | Safari iOS 9.1 | Touch | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | Safari iOS 8.4 | Touch | Text of previous element read out as link label. | Preceding content, link |
![]() | Safari iOS 7.1 | Touch | Link not visible in browser, and ignored in VoiceOver. | |
![]() | IE11 | Reading | Link not displayed, and not read. | |
![]() | IE11 | Tabbing | Link not displayed, and not read. |
SortSite rules: AccHtmlLinkTextBlank
Test notes
All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.
Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:
- Reading Content read using the «read next» command in a screen reader
- Tabbing Content read using the «tab» key in a screen reader
- Heading Content read using the «next heading» key in a screen reader
- Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device
In the «What the user hears» column:
- Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
- Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the «read next» or «tab» or «next heading» command is pressed again
- Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
- (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear