Techniques for WCAG 2.0

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# H78: Identifying the purpose of a link using link text combined with its enclosing paragraph

## Applicability

All technologies that contain links.

This technique relates to:

- Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose (In Context))
  - How to Meet 2.4.4 (Link Purpose (In Context))
  - Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose (In Context))

## User Agent and Assistive Technology Support Notes

JAWS 5.0 and later includes the following keystrokes:

- alt+leftArrow: read previous sentence

- alt+rightArrow: read next sentence

- alt+NumPad 5: read current sentence

- Ctrl+NumPad5: read current paragraph

The "read current sentence" keystroke supports examples 1, 2, and 4 below. If alt+numPad5 is pressed when a link has focus, the sentence is read without changing the focus.

The "read current paragraph" keystroke supports Example 3 below. If Ctrl+NumPad 5 is pressed when the link has focus, the entire paragraph is read without changing the focus.

Window-Eyes 5.5 has hotkeys to read the current sentence and current paragraph; thus Window-Eyes 5.5 supports the examples listed below.

To surf the internet with WindowEyes you must be in browse mode. Current sentence and current paragraph hot keys do not work in browse mode in version 6.1.

The factory default settings for reading surrounding link context are as follows:

Desktop settings:

- Character = CTRL-NUMPAD-LEFT ARROW

- Word = CTRL-NUMPAD-RIGHT ARROW

- Line = CTRL-NUMPAD-CENTER

- Sentence = Not available in Browse mode

- (Next Sentence command is undefined by default on Desktop mode but the next line is the DOWN Arrow.)

- Next Paragraph = P

- Prior Paragraph = Shift P

- Current Paragraph = Not Available in Browse mode

Laptop

- Character = ALT-SHIFT-LESS THAN

- Word Prior = ALT-SHIFT-J

- Word = ALT-SHIFT-K

- Word Next = ALT-SHIFT-L

- Sentence Prior = ALT-SHIFT-7

- Sentence = unavailable in browse mode

- Sentence Next = unavailable in browse mode

- Paragraph = Undefined on Laptop by default

- Line Prior = ALT-SHIFT-U

- Line = ALT-SHIFT-I

- Line Next = ALT-SHIFT-O

The "speak parent element" command in Fire Vox (Ctrl+Shift+u) supports Example 3. This keystroke works without changing the focus. Fire Vox is a free screen reader designed specifically for Firefox 1.0 and later. It supports Windows, Macintosh, and Linux.

## Description

The objective of this technique is to identify the purpose of a link from the link in its paragraph context. The paragraph enclosing the link provides context for an otherwise unclear link when the paragraph is the nearest enclosing block-level ancestor element. The description lets a user distinguish this link from links in the Web page that lead to other destinations and helps the user determine whether to follow the link. Note that simply providing the URI of the destination is generally not sufficiently descriptive.

Note: These descriptions will be most useful to the user if the additional information needed to understand the link precedes the link. If the additional information follows the link, there can be confusion and difficulty for screen reader users who are reading through the page in order (top to bottom).

## Examples

### Example 1

Announcements column on a Folk Festival Web page.

Example Code:

    <h3>The final 15</h3>
    <p>Coming soon to a town near you...the final 15 in the
    National Folk Festival lineup.
    <a href="final15.html">[Read more...]</a>
    </p>

    <h3>Folk artists get awards</h3>
    <p>Performers from the upcoming National Folk Festival receive
     National Heritage Fellowships.
     <a href="nheritage.html">[Read more...]</a>
    </p>
    …

## Resources

No resources available for this technique.

## Related Techniques

- G53: Identifying the purpose of a link using link text combined with the text of the enclosing sentence
- G91: Providing link text that describes the purpose of a link
- H33: Supplementing link text with the title attribute
- H77: Identifying the purpose of a link using link text combined with its enclosing list item
- H79: Identifying the purpose of a link using link text combined with its enclosing table cell and associated table headings
- H80: Identifying the purpose of a link using link text combined with the preceding heading element
- H81: Identifying the purpose of a link in a nested list using link text combined with the parent list item under which the list is nested
- C7: Using CSS to hide a portion of the link text

## Tests

### Procedure

For each link in the content that uses this technique:

1. Check that the link is part of a paragraph.

2. Check that text of the link combined with the text of its enclosing paragraph describes the purpose of the link.

### Expected Results

- The above checks are true.

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