One principle we return to in every article on this site is that web accessibility requires us to examine and ensure that information is clear and understandable to every visitor. That means users with disabilities must be able to consume the same content and receive the assistive cues they need to do so.
If you browse our blog, you'll notice we tend to address even the smallest details in web accessibility — and this time, we're putting the spotlight on internal links.
What Does an Internal Link Look Like?
Let's start with a story :)
The mother of the author of this article signed up some time ago for a basic computer literacy course. One of the things they taught her there was that a hyperlink inside a Word document has an underline, and it's colored blue.
You'll soon see why we connect this story to web accessibility; it shows us that in beginner computer courses, people with low tech orientation gravitate toward what we all recognize as the standard.
That underline beneath a link, that blue color — these are identifying markers that have become the baseline expectation.
Back to how this applies to websites:
One of the requirements in web accessibility states that any non-text message must be supported by 2 visual indicators: in the case of links — a distinct color (blue or another color that clearly contrasts with the surrounding text) and an underline.
This visual treatment — which lets users immediately recognize that an internal link (or an outbound link) exists — carries enormous weight for overall site accessibility.
Links That Contain Additional Information
We won't keep you in suspense — let's jump straight to an example.
Consider a link that leads to a PDF file. In that case, accessible link practices require us to indicate that the link opens a PDF (for example, by adding "(PDF)" in parentheses after the link text, or writing "Download PDF" before it). See also the article we wrote on PDF accessibility.
The guiding principle in web accessibility — and, incidentally, a great UX tip in general — is: don't make your users guess. Help them navigate your site and understand it fully.
The Difference Between a Button and a Link
A common source of confusion is that many people don't know or understand the difference between a button and a link.
An internal link has 3 possible purposes that define it as a link:
- A downloadable file
- Navigation to another page
- Jumping to another location on the same page (known as an anchor link)
These are the 3 valid purposes of a link.
Anything that doesn't meet one of these definitions is not a link — and it should be coded as a button.
A button, for example, is a control that opens a modal or pop-up, or a Play button that starts and stops a video or audio file.
One of the things we check when making a website accessible is whether there is a clear, correct distinction between inline text links and buttons designed to trigger various functions.
We Have a Lot More Tips Worth Knowing
First, we highly recommend reading the articles we publish on our blog — they're genuinely fun and informative (and we're not biased at all!).
Second, all of this expertise is exactly what we deliver as a full web accessibility service. So if your website needs to meet accessibility standards, we'd love to help — starting at just ₪600 + VAT per year! That includes a manual audit by an expert developer, ongoing technical support throughout the year, and a response to any changes made to your site.