Enhancing Accessibility of the 'Return to Top' Link

Currently, I am designing a web page that requires users to scroll extensively.

To enhance the user experience, I have included a back-to-top link at the bottom of the page for easy navigation back to the top.

This is the HTML markup I have implemented:

<a class="btn-primary" href="#top">
<span class="btn-content link-content">
<svg focusable="false"><use xlink:href="#arrow-upward"></use></svg>
</span>
</a>

I'm looking for ways to make this link more accessible. So far, I've considered adding aria-label, but I'm open to other suggestions.

javascripthtmlcssaccessibility

Answer №1

To start off, ensure that your component is user-friendly by following the Back-to-Top Button Design Guidelines provided by NNg. This sets a strong foundation for accessibility. Special thanks to @outis for the suggestion.

When implementing a Back to Top component, it's important to consider various accessibility factors.

Creating an Accessible Name

Every interactive element should have an accessible name that not only aids screen reader users but also helps voice control users identify the button. Providing descriptive alternative text is essential.

Adding Text for Sighted Users

In addition to alternative text, consider adding a tooltip with the title attribute for sighted users. However, do not rely solely on tooltips for accessibility as screen readers may not interpret them accurately.

It's even better to have the text visibly present for all users, as some individuals may struggle with interpreting icons alone.

Make sure that the visible text is included in the accessible name (alt text) and add role="presentation" to the SVG if there is accompanying text next to it.

This example from the GOV.UK Design System Guidelines demonstrates their commitment to accessibility by placing the component before the footer on lengthy pages.

Checking Contrast

Verify that the icon and text contrast against the background meets the recommended 4.5:1 ratio or higher, considering color combinations specified in your CSS.

Avoiding Icon-Fonts

Avoid using icon-fonts as they can cause issues for users with reading disorders who customize font settings. Opt for other solutions that provide clear visuals.

Animating Scroll Responsibly

When incorporating animated scroll effects, such as smooth scrolling, proceed with caution to prevent discomfort for users sensitive to motion animations. Consider the user's preferences regarding reduced motion.

Ensuring Focus

Place the back-to-top button in the tab order near the footer, ensuring it remains visible at all times. Make keyboard focus indicators clearly visible for interactive elements to assist keyboard users in navigation.

If the button disappears when reaching the top of the page, redirect focus elsewhere to avoid losing focus entirely.

Following WCAG Guidelines

Refer to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for additional criteria that may apply to your component. Conduct audits using tools like the WCAG-EM Report Tool to ensure compliance with accessibility standards mandated in many regions.

Answer №2

Another way to enhance your anchor tag is by including the Title attribute

<a class="btn-secondary" href="#start" title="jump to beginning of content">

Answer №3

When creating in-page navigation links, it is essential to consider the needs of screen reader users. Ensuring that these users understand the purpose of the link can be achieved by using an aria-label attribute with a descriptive value like 'Go to top' or 'Back to top'. Additionally, the content of the link should be hidden from the screen reader, usually done through aria-hidden='true' (with some exceptions).

Another important aspect to keep in mind is focus handling. In many browsers, if an href with an invalid id (e.g., #Element's_ID) is used, the page will scroll back to the top, affecting screen reader and keyboard users. This can lead to unexpected page scrolling when the Tab key is pressed after the page has been scrolled up.

For a practical example of implementing accessibility best practices, you can refer to the W3C patterns page at https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/patterns/.

We hope this information aids you in your journey towards creating more accessible web experiences. The world of accessibility welcomes all individuals interested in making digital content inclusive for everyone.

    <body id="top">
    ...
      <a class="btn-primary" aria-label="Back to top" href="#top">...
      </a>
...
    </body>

Similar questions

If you have not found the answer to your question or you are interested in this topic, then look at other similar questions below or use the search

What is the best way to combine API calls using rxJs subscribe and map in Angular?

Currently, I am executing multiple API requests. The first one is responsible for creating a User, while the second handles Team creation. Upon creating a User, an essential piece of information called UserId is returned, which is crucial for the Team cre ...

javascriptangularrxjs

Displaying truncated title text

Would it be feasible to display clipped text (overflow: hidden) in a way that is fully readable when hovered over? An attempt like this: div:hover { overflow: visible; background-color: yellow; } results in the text overlapping, making it impossible ...

htmlcsshoveroverflow

The POST request did not yield an HttpResponse object; instead, it returned None

When I submit a selection from a dropdown form to views as a POST request, and then use this selection to query data from Django, I encounter an issue while trying to map Django models data to Highcharts following this approach. The error message "the view ...

pythonhtmlcssdjango

Creating a dynamic image slider that smoothly glides across a webpage

I've been working on a carousel (image slider) for my website and I need some help. Specifically, I want to reposition the entire slider slightly to the left on the webpage. You can see the slider in action on this site: and I also created a jsfiddle ...

javascriptjqueryhtmlcsstwitter-bootstrap

Is there a way to verify DNSSEC compatibility using node.js code?

Struggling with incorporating DNSSEC compliance checks into my web analytics tools using NodeJS. The standard library's dns module does not seem to accept DNSSEC record types such as rrsig, ds, nsec, and nsec3. Despite checking the documentation, thes ...

javascriptnode.jsdnsdnssec

I am facing some difficulties with my deployed CRA website on Github Pages, as it appears to be malfunctioning compared to when I was running it on localhost using VS Code

After deploying my CRA website on Github Pages, I noticed that it is not functioning the same as it did when running on localhost using VS Code. The site retrieves data from SWAPI and performs manipulations in various React components. While everything wor ...

javascriptreactjsfetchcreate-react-appgithub-pages

Guide to retrieving data from a URL and storing it in a string variable with JavaScript

Attempting to retrieve the JSON data from a specific URL and store it in a variable. The code snippet below successfully loads the JSON into a div element: $("#siteloader").html('<object data="MYURL">'); However, the goal is to extract t ...

javascriptjqueryajaxjsonp

Learning to extract information from elements within components in a flexbox using Angular

Is there a way to access the element width of child components within a parent component that utilizes flex box? I am hoping to determine if the list is overflowed so I can adjust the visibility of elements accordingly. If an overflow occurs, I would like ...

htmlcssangularflexbox

The coloring feature in Excel Add-in's React component fails to populate cells after the "await" statement

Currently, I am developing a Microsoft Excel Add-in using React. My goal is to assign colors to specific cells based on the value in each cell, indicated by a color code (refer to the Board Color column in the image below). To achieve this, I retrieve the ...

javascriptreactjsexcelasync-awaitstyling

Getting a vnode from a DOM element in Vue 3.0: A Step-by-Step Guide

My question pertains to obtaining a vnode through accessing the DOM using document.getElementById(id). How can I accomplish this? ...

javascriptvue.jsvuejs3

Implementing pagination and filtering in a single MERN controller

Is it possible to implement pagination and filtering in the same controller? Filter service:- const filterPosts = async (filterData, token) => { const config = { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}`, }, data: { ...

javascriptnode.jsreactjsexpressaxios

AngularJS: Issue with scope not updating across several views

Having one controller and two views presents a challenge. ClustersController angular.module('app.controllers').controller('ClustersController', [ '$scope', 'ClustersService', function($scope, ClustersService) { ...

javascripthtmlangularjsdata-binding

Find the nearest iframe relative to a parent element

I am attempting to find the nearest iframe element to a parent element in order to pinpoint the specific iframe that I want to customize using CSS: <div class ="accroche"> <iframe></iframe> <iframe></iframe> &l ...

javascripthtmlcssiframe

adjust the div's position based on the window's scrolling bars

Is there a way to make my div move down when the window scrolls down and up when the window scrolls up? How can I achieve this effect? ...

htmlcsspositioning

Is it possible to disable a function by clicking on it?

I currently have a website that is utilizing the following plugin: This plugin enables an image to be zoomed in and out through CSS transforms, with default controls for zooming in and out. My goal is to incorporate a reset button that returns the image ...

javascriptjquerycss

Combining two kebab-case CSS classes within a React component

import React from 'react'; import styles from './stylesheet.moudle.css' <div className={styles['first-style']} {styles['second-style']}> some content </div> What is the correct way to include styles[&ap ...

javascripthtmlcssreactjs

How to Assign a Specific ID to the Body Tag in Wordpress Using functions.php

Struggling to find a simple solution after scouring the web for answers. Most tutorials are overly complicated. I'm attempting to integrate a jQuery menu system into my Wordpress site and want to assign a unique body ID to make targeting easier. I p ...

javascriptphpjquerywordpress

Unlocking the parent scope in a custom attribute directive

I am new to utilizing angular js. I came across a similar inquiry on How to access parent scope from within a custom directive *with own scope* in AngularJS? However, the solution provided did not work for my basic test. Here is the sandbox. http://jsfi ...

javascriptangularjs

What is the best way to track all method calls in a node.js application without cluttering the code with debug statements

How can I automatically log the user_id and method name of every method called within a javascript class without adding logger statements to each method? This would allow me to easily track and grep for individual user activity like in the example below: ...

javascriptnode.jsloggingcoffeescript

Best practices for updating nested properties in Angular objects

I have a dataset that includes information about fruit prices for different years: { "fruits": [ { "name": "apple", "prices": [ { "2015": 2, "2014": 3, ...

javascriptangularjsloopsforeachpush