[wp-meta] [Making WordPress.org] #617: Inaccessible Profile Icons Have No Text Alternative

[Making WordPress.org]

#617: Inaccessible Profile Icons Have No Text Alternative
-------------------+----------------------
Reporter:  mrwweb  |      Owner:
    Type:  defect  |     Status:  new
Priority:  normal  |  Component:  Profiles
Keywords:          |
-------------------+----------------------
 The profile icons (Plugin Developer, Theme Developer, WordPress Speaker,
 etc.) have no text alternative. They do have a title attribute
 ([https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/24766|which is bad]), though
 that's not available to most screen readers by default or touch devices.

 At a minimum, the icon markup should include the text from the title
 attribute hidden but screen reader accessible. Better yet, I think we
 should strongly consider [http://www.nngroup.com/articles/icon-
 usability-1995-sun-microsystems-website/|Jakob Nielsen's recommendations
 about icon usability]:

 > To help overcome the ambiguity that almost all icons face, a '''text
 label must be present alongside an icon''' to clarify its meaning in that
 particular context...Icon labels should be visible at all times, without
 any interaction from the user. [original author's emphasis]

 I love me some Dashicons, but few of them are anywhere near close to a
 "universal" icon, and so really would benefit from a universal design
 approach that displays text labels at all times. But at a minimum, fix the
 accessibility issue.

--
Ticket URL: <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/617>
Making WordPress.org <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/>
Making WordPress.org