Accessibility: Buttons vs. Links

[mercime]

Using semantic markup like the button element instead of empty anchor links like <a href="#" etc.></a>, among others, helps us achieve accessibility and device independence.

buttons already have the properties and methods that all assistive technologies use to relay information to the user through the Accessibility Tree API which all devices and all modern browsers recognize.

• Buttons: initiate immediate action e.g. form submission, toggle, dismiss, favorite, star, reply/comment, etc. If there's no href value, if there's no url which tells where to go, use a button
• Links: trigger navigation to different sources

Anchor links mentioned above fail in in the Robust Principle and H91 technique

As I noted in the template pack meeting last week, one of the items we should change is the "dismiss" icon font link which should be changed to a button element. Another one which we should address upstream is the anchor link used for our cover image.

Let's make the bp-nouveau template pack accessible and usable for everyone.

Ref: WebAIM W3C forms W3C buttons

[hnla]

This provision will need a BP core change to facilitate so created a ticket over on trac.bp:

https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/7226#ticket

[hnla]

As I've added this functionality to extend the args in core and updated the functions in Nouveau to allow selection of various elements as required, closing this ticket

[mercime]

Just thinking that we could also utilize the regular and :hover styles in .message-action-delete from Dismiss message in /_accessoires/messages/index.php by adding that class in the Dismiss message buttons for the group and member home pages

[hnla]

Sounds right.

[hnla]

Now any further work is being committed to BP core we'll close this ticket again in favour of trac tickets where required.