PDF no headings Screen reader compatibility
PDF
Dec 12, 2023
Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers
Actual Result: causes problems in 48 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:
<a href='SR_PDF_no_headings.pdf'>SR_PDF_no_headings.pdf</a>
Change History
Last updated: December 12, 2023
- NVDA with Chrome Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2023.3
- NVDA with IE Causes problems from NVDA 2017.3 to NVDA 2019.2
- NVDA with FF Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2023.3
- JAWS with Chrome Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2023.2311.34
- JAWS with IE Causes problems from JAWS 17.0.2007 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
- JAWS with FF Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2023.2311.34
- VoiceOver macOS Causes problems from VoiceOver macOS 10.14 to VoiceOver macOS 13.6
- VoiceOver iOS Causes problems from VoiceOver iOS 12.4 to VoiceOver iOS 16.6
Screen reader | Browser | Mode | Notes | What the user hears |
---|---|---|---|---|
NVDA 2023.3 | Chrome 120 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2023.3 | FF 115 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2023.3 | Edge 120 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2022.2 | Chrome 105 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2022.2 | FF 102 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2022.2 | Edge 105 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2021.2 | Chrome 94 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2021.2 | FF 91 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2021.2 | Edge 94 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2020.2 | Chrome 86 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2020.2 | FF 78 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2020.2 | Edge 92 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2019.2 | Chrome 79 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2019.2 | FF 68 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2019.2 | IE11 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2018.4 | Chrome 73 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2018.4 | FF 60 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2018.4 | IE11 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
NVDA 2017.3 | IE11 | Reading | Cannot navigate by headings | No next heading |
JAWS 2023.2311.34 | Chrome 120 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2023.2311.34 | FF 115 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2023.2311.34 | Edge 120 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2022.2207.25 | Chrome 105 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2022.2207.25 | FF 102 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2022.2207.25 | Edge 105 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2021.2107.12 | Chrome 94 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2021.2107.12 | FF 91 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2021.2107.12 | Edge 94 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2020.2008.24 | Chrome 86 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2020.2008.24 | FF 78 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2020.2008.24 | Edge 92 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2019.1912.1 | Chrome 79 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2019.1912.1 | FF 68 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2019.1912.1 | IE11 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2018.1811.2 | Chrome 73 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2018.1811.2 | FF 60 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 2018.1811.2 | IE11 | Reading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
JAWS 17.0.2007 | IE11 | Reading | Cannot navigate by headings | There are no headings on this page |
VoiceOver macOS 13.6 | Safari 16.6 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Heading not found |
VoiceOver macOS 12.5 | Safari 15.6 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Heading not found |
VoiceOver macOS 11.5 | Safari 15.0 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Heading not found |
VoiceOver macOS 10.15 | Safari 14.1 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Heading not found |
VoiceOver macOS 10.14 | Safari 13.0 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Heading not found |
VoiceOver iOS 16.6 | Safari 16.6 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Zero headings |
VoiceOver iOS 15.6 | Safari iOS 15.6 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Zero headings |
VoiceOver iOS 14.7 | Safari iOS 14.7 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Zero headings |
VoiceOver iOS 13.3 | Safari iOS 13.3 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Zero headings |
VoiceOver iOS 12.4 | Safari iOS 12.4 | Heading | Cannot navigate by headings | Heading not found |
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