- From: Simon White <simon.white@jkd.co.uk>
- Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 16:23:25 +0100
- To: <michelle.black@sickkids.ca>, <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Dear Michelle, Firstly, I am sure that everyone will join me in saying that no question is too stupid - we all have to start somewhere. Now, to your question... It is my experience that a screenreader will require a full stop in order for the user to know that a sentence has ended, otherwise it just keeps on reading. I have also found that this is true for vertical lists, although other punctuation - such as comma, semi-colon and colon - will cause the reader to pause slightly. If you are writing for clear and concise purposes, then a full stop will help people distinguish where they are and also aid you in keeping sentences clear and simple. Forgive me if someone else out there knows different, but when taken in the context of the rest of your message, I feel that this would be the correct answer. Anyone else? Kind regards to all Sime -----Original Message----- From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org]On Behalf Of michelle.black@sickkids.ca Sent: Monday, August 13, 2001 16:08 To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org Subject: Screen readers and full stops Greetings, accessibility crusaders. This is my first post to the list, but I lurk with much interest as I try to get my knowledge of Web access beyond the basic level. Apologies in advance for asking such a basic question on the list, but it's been driving me nuts and I'm sure someone will be able to answer it easily. Do most screen readers always need a full stop to know whether a sentence has ended? Does this apply to vertical lists as well? I'm a writer who specializes in plain language and clear design. Often we use vertical lists with bullet points to break down longer constructions, and lately people who review my drafts have taken issue with the fact that I always add a period after the last bullet point. My argument has been that, from what I understand, if the info will be posted online a screen reader will need the period to register and thus convey that it's the end of the sentence; if the period weren't there, the reader would just continue reading to the next line without a pause. I have often used similar logic in deciding to put periods in other parts of Web information where I want a full pause after the word, where I might normally use other punctuation such as colons or em dashes. Was leaving the period in a vestige of older screen readers, or an older version of HTML? Or is my assumption still accurate? Many thanks for your help, Michelle Black
Received on Monday, 13 August 2001 11:24:04 UTC