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Digital Accessibility

Descriptive and Unique Links

 

Ensure that every link is meaningful, identifiable, and accessible to all users. Good link text allows readers—and assistive technologies—to understand the link’s purpose instantly.

 

Let’s explore together!

 

Below is a list of accessible and inaccessible links. Before scrolling further down, please review the list and make a note of which links you believe are accessible and which are not.

After you've made your selections, the dropdown below the list will reveal the correct answers and explain why.

Identify Accessible Links (Select all that apply)

 

  1. https://portal.cotr.bc.ca/
  2. https://portal.cotr.bc.ca/ 
  3. College of the Rockies Portal 
  4. To learn what courses we offer, click here
  5. To learn what courses we offer, visit our Programs Offered Page
  6. Once your account is activated, you can log in to College of the Rockies Portal 
  7. Once your account is activated, you can log in to College of the Rockies Portal

 

 

These are the accessible links from the list above:

Here's why:

These best practices ensure everyone can interact with links effectively, whether they’re navigating visually, using a screen reader, or relying on other assistive technologies.

 

  • Links must be semantically designated as such. This means they need to be created as links in your tool—not just plain text that looks like a link.
  • All links must have programmatically determinable text- not just the hyperlink.
  • The purpose of each link should be clear from the link text alone. For example, ‘Click here’ isn’t descriptive, but ‘View the accessibility guidelines’ tells the user exactly where the link will take them.
  • Avoid repeating the word ‘link’ in the text. It’s unnecessary because screen readers already announce it as a link.
  • Links must be visually distinguishable from the surrounding text. Whether it’s through color, underlining, or another style, the link should stand out clearly, so users can find it at a glance.

By following these practices, we make sure that links are accessible and meaningful to all users, regardless of how they navigate or interact with digital content.