Link text should offer a clear, concise description to identify the destination of the link. One way to think about this is to imagine taking all of the links out of context, would they still make sense?

The following are some tips for writing accessible links:

  • Describe the destination or action in the link text, e.g. Download module descriptor, submit assignment.
  • Keep link text short, but include enough information to make its purpose clear.
  • If you are linking to a file, include details such as the file type, e.g. PDF.
  • Avoid using a full web address as the visible link text unless the address itself is important. This is because screen readers will read out every character of long URLs that do not have any meaningful text.
  • If a link opens a new window or does something unexpected, let people know where this would be useful, e.g. you are leaving this website.

Examples


Instead of:

For the course syllabus, click here.

To submit, click here.


Try:

Download the Course Syllabus (PDF)

Open the Assignment Submission Page