RE: Buttons vs links

One problem with this button/link thing can impact screen reader users. Som=
etimes designers make links look like buttons, and visa versa. We are then =
told to find XYZ button, which our screen reader sees as a link. So we tell=
 the sightling, there is no button! =20

Links are links, and buttons are buttons. Why do people need to make it so =
complicated!

Dave



-----Original Message-----
From: Janina Sajka <[email protected]>=20
Sent: Friday, May 8, 2020 9:14 AM
To: Savage, Angela (ITS) <[email protected]>
Cc: Jan Hellbusch <[email protected]>; [email protected]; L=E9onie Watson <l=
[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Buttons vs links

This message may be from an external email source.
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ous emails to Minnesota IT Services Security Operations Center.

________________________________

 I must confess I've always found the buttons vis a vis links  distinction =
one without much of a difference from the user perspective.

 Either way most users click to invoke the associated result.

 Those of us who are mouseless by necessity may press spacebar for  buttons=
, but pressing enter also works. And, there are two many  instances where t=
hat which perports to be a button won't respond to  spacebar. Enter seems a=
lways to work. Off hand I can't think of an  exception.

 Thus my distinction without a difference conclusion.

 Best,

 Janina

Savage, Angela (ITS) writes:
> Thank you for the responses. These have been helpful!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jan Hellbusch <[email protected]>
> Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2020 12:28 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: RE: Buttons vs links
>
> ATTENTION: This email came from an external source. Do not open attachmen=
ts or click on links from unknown senders or unexpected emails.
>
> Hi,
>
> according to HTML spec, links are for resources and buttons are for actio=
ns.
> There are exceptions:
>
> * in general, use links for going to a new page or downloading a document=
.
> * links can also be used within a web page (skip navigation links etc.).
>
> * buttons are used for sending forms (most often to a script).
> * Otherwise they should be used for performing actions on the web page (e=
.g.
> widgets).
>
> * Actions can, of course, mean calling a new resource in a process. It wi=
ll not always be clear, whether a button or a link is more appropriate.
>
> Jan
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Savage, Angela (ITS) <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2020 6:02 PM
> > To: [email protected]
> > Subject: Buttons vs links
> >
> > I was wondering what is the proper usage for a button and a link=20
> > when
> building
> > an accessible application or website?
> >
> >
> >
> > I'm reading multiple articles on this topic and I read an article=20
> > from the
> Nielsen
> > Norman Group on command links and they state that buttons should not=20
> > be used for navigation and that users should click a plain link to=20
> > move to
> another
> > page of information. Multiple articles I have read  on using buttons=20
> > and
> links
> > when creating an accessible application or page mention this too.
> >
> >
> >
> > Article: Command Links
> > <https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fw
> > ww.nngroup.com%2Farticles%2Fcommand-links%2F&amp;data=3D02%7C01%7Cdavi
> > d.b.andrews%40state.mn.us%7C188d88af482640d242ea08d7f35afdf9%7Ceb14b
> > 04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637245444443445544&amp;sdata=3D5
> > iYs02cNgOnbItrZcOmT%2FrXzZS99QvXpBcdtPqXZZvk%3D&amp;reserved=3D0>
> >
> >
> >
> > Thank you in advance,
> >
> >
> >
> > Angela Savage
> >
> > Accessibility Auditor
>
>
>
>

--

Janina Sajka

Linux Foundation Fellow
Executive Chair, Accessibility Workgroup:       https://gcc01.safelinks.pro=
tection.outlook.com/?url=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fa11y.org%2F&amp;data=3D02%7C01%7Cda=
vid.b.andrews%40state.mn.us%7C188d88af482640d242ea08d7f35afdf9%7Ceb14b04624=
c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637245444443445544&amp;sdata=3DFDUgrI9vYLM=
O%2FiczzF2hkkvbGTXAqhQOeCu2Jp40T5g%3D&amp;reserved=3D0

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures        https://gcc01.safelinks.pro=
tection.outlook.com/?url=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2Fwai%2Fapa&amp;data=3D0=
2%7C01%7Cdavid.b.andrews%40state.mn.us%7C188d88af482640d242ea08d7f35afdf9%7=
Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637245444443445544&amp;sdata=3D=
paal2ZHHyMiFya%2BUSWt%2FPzn0gOhkrEHHLg%2Byq9Vt3sU%3D&amp;reserved=3D0