Re: FOCUS VISIBLE/2.4.7

I have temporarily changed the style sheet so a:focus is a different hex color. However, it is in the same family/shade of the other links I used. The difference is very small. How does this impact Focus Visible for pass/fail status?

--- On Tue, 7/28/09, Black Widow Web Design <webmistress@blackwidows.co.uk> wrote:


From: Black Widow Web Design <webmistress@blackwidows.co.uk>
Subject: Re: FOCUS VISIBLE/2.4.7
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 6:57 PM


on 28/07/2009 19:32 Chris Reeve said the following:
> Please take a look at http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/NOTE-WCAG20-TECHS-20081211/C15. I have a sample style sheet that has a:focus, a:active, a:hover, and a:visited
>  all set at the same color.
> 
> Does this mean that Focus Visible fails?

In my opinion, yes. Sighted keyboard navigators will have difficulty
differentiating between a link with current focus and one that has been
visited.

> If it does, how do you suggest it should be changed? All of my a: links are set to #0000FF

One fairly easy option is to reverse the background and text color on
a:focus and a:active links. It highlights the link with current focus and saves the poor sighted keyboard navigator having to play "hunt the current link" on a screen that may be crowded with links.

In my opinion, it's not quite so important to highlight the a:hover state as users already receive visual feedback via the changed cursor (assuming you haven't messed with the cursor, that its...).

Hope that helps.

Mel P.
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