SVG Accessibility Tests

Testing Procedure: Using browser/screen reader combinations listed in Results tables, tab key navigate and arrow browse through page.

All SVG drawings have title and desc elements with identical contents, have a text element, have a a element (using either a xlink:href or just plain a href, depending on SVG version), and have a single rectangular shape. Differences between SVG drawings are specified in the numbered headings.

a link before example 1

Example 1: Baseline SVG: Non-versioned SVG, no role, containing a text element and an anchor element

Green Rectangle A light green rectangle with square corners and a dark green border. Some text A hyperlink
Results for Example 1
link is tabstop link text reads on tab SVG reports as graphic title reads description reads text island reads link reads (as text/as link) notes
JAWS 17 + IE 11 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
JAWS 17 + Firefox 49 (see notes) n/a no no no yes yes (as text) When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
JAWS 17 + Chrome 54 yes yes yes no no yes yes (as text)
NVDA 2016.3 + IE 11 n/a (see notes) n/a yes yes yes no no When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
NVDA 2016.3 + Firefox 49 no n/a no no no yes yes (as text)
NVDA 2016.3 + Chrome 54 yes yes yes yes no no no
JAWS 16 + IE 11
JAWS 16 + Firefox 38
NVDA 2014.2 + IE 11
NVDA 2014.2 + Firefox 38
VO OSX El Cap + Safari 10
VO iOS 10 + Safari
TalkBack Android 7.0 + Chrome 53

a link before example 2

Example 2: Non-versioned SVG, role image, containing a text element and an anchor element

Green Rectangle A light green rectangle with square corners and a dark green border. Some text A hyperlink
Results for Example 2
link is tabstop link text reads on tab SVG reports as graphic title reads description reads text island reads link reads (as text/as link) notes
JAWS 17 + IE 11 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes (as link)
JAWS 17 + Firefox 49 (see notes) n/a no no no yes yes When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
JAWS 17 + Chrome 54 yes yes yes no no yes yes (as text)
NVDA 2016.3 + IE 11 (see notes) n/a yes yes (twice: first, then after description) yes no no When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
NVDA 2016.3 + Firefox 49 no n/a yes yes (twice) no no no
NVDA 2016.3 + Chrome 54 yes Yes (but reads title not link text) yes yes no no no
JAWS 16 + IE 11
JAWS 16 + Firefox 38
NVDA 2014.2 + IE 11
NVDA 2014.2 + Firefox 38
VO OSX El Cap + Safari 10
VO iOS 10 + Safari
TalkBack Android 7.0 + Chrome 53

a link before example 3

Example 3: Non-versioned SVG: role image, aria-labelledby for title and desc, containing a text element and an anchor element

Green Rectangle A light green rectangle with square corners and a dark green border. Some text A hyperlink
Results for Example 3
link is tabstop link text reads on tab SVG reports as graphic title reads description reads text island reads link reads (as text/as link) notes
JAWS 17 + IE 11 yes no (reads title as link) yes yes yes yes yes (as link)
JAWS 17 + Firefox 49 (see notes) n/a no no no yes yes (as text) When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
JAWS 17 + Chrome 54 no no yes yes yes no no
NVDA 2016.3 + IE 11 (see notes) n/a yes yes no no no When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
NVDA 2016.3 + Firefox 49 no n/a yes yes yes no no
NVDA 2016.3 + Chrome 54 yes yes (title and desc are read, not link text) yes yes yes no no
JAWS 16 + IE 11
JAWS 16 + Firefox 38
NVDA 2014.2 + IE 11
NVDA 2014.2 + Firefox 38
VO OSX El Cap + Safari 10
VO iOS 10 + Safari
TalkBack Android 7.0 + Chrome 53

a link before example 4

Example 4: Non-versioned SVG, role image, presentation role on text and anchor elements, tabindex -1 on anchor

Green Rectangle A light green rectangle with square corners and a dark green border. Some text A hyperlink
Results for Example 4
link is tabstop link text reads on tab SVG reports as graphic title reads description reads text island reads link reads (as text/as link) notes
JAWS 17 + IE 11 yes no (reads title) yes yes yes yes yes (as link)
JAWS 17 + Firefox 49 (see notes) n/a no no no yes yes (as text) When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
JAWS 17 + Chrome 54 no n/a yes yes no no no
NVDA 2016.3 + IE 11 (see notes) n/a yes yes (twice) yes no no When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
NVDA 2016.3 + Firefox 49 no n/a yes yes (twice) no no no
NVDA 2016.3 + Chrome 54 no n/a yes yes no no no
JAWS 16 + IE 11
JAWS 16 + Firefox 38
NVDA 2014.2 + IE 11
NVDA 2014.2 + Firefox 38
VO OSX El Cap + Safari 10
VO iOS 10 + Safari
TalkBack Android 7.0 + Chrome 53

a link before example 5

Example 5: Non-versioned SVG, role image, aria-hidden on text and anchor elements, tabindex -1 on anchor

Green Rectangle A light green rectangle with square corners and a dark green border.
Results for Example 5
link is tabstop link text reads on tab SVG reports as graphic title reads description reads text island reads link reads (as text/as link) notes
JAWS 17 + IE 11 yes no (reads title, twice) yes yes yes no no
JAWS 17 + Firefox 49 (see notes) n/a no no no no When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
JAWS 17 + Chrome 54 no n/a yes yes no no no
NVDA 2016.3 + IE 11 (see notes) n/a yes yes (twice) yes no no When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
NVDA 2016.3 + Firefox 49 no n/a yes yes (twice) no no no
NVDA 2016.3 + Chrome 54 no n/a yes yes no no no
JAWS 16 + IE 11
JAWS 16 + Firefox 38
NVDA 2014.2 + IE 11
NVDA 2014.2 + Firefox 38
VO OSX El Cap + Safari 10
VO iOS 10 + Safari
TalkBack Android 7.0 + Chrome 53

a link before example 6

Example 6: SVG version 1.1, role image, presentation role on text and anchor elements elements, tabindex -1 on anchor

Green Rectangle A light green rectangle with square corners and a dark green border. Some text A hyperlink
Results for Example 6
link is tabstop link text reads on tab SVG reports as graphic title reads description reads text island reads link reads (as text/as link) notes
JAWS 17 + IE 11 yes yes (along with title) yes yes yes yes yes (as a link)
JAWS 17 + Firefox 49 (see notes) n/a no no no yes yes When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
JAWS 17 + Chrome 54 no no yes yes no no no
NVDA 2016.3 + IE 11 (see notes) n/a yes yes yes yes yes (as text) When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
NVDA 2016.3 + Firefox 49 yes no (says "unknown") yes yes (twice) no no no
NVDA 2016.3 + Chrome 54 no n/a yes yes no no no
JAWS 16 + IE 11
JAWS 16 + Firefox 38
NVDA 2014.2 + IE 11
NVDA 2014.2 + Firefox 38
VO OSX El Cap + Safari 10
VO iOS 10 + Safari
TalkBack Android 7.0 + Chrome 53

a link before example 7

Example 7: SVG version 1.1, role image, aria-hidden on text and anchor elements, tabindex -1 on anchor

Green Rectangle A light green rectangle with square corners and a dark green border.
Results for Example 7
link is tabstop link text reads on tab SVG reports as graphic title reads description reads text island reads link reads (as text/as link) notes
JAWS 17 + IE 11 yes no (unannounced tab stop) yes yes yes no no
JAWS 17 + Firefox 49 (see notes) n/a no no no no no When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
JAWS 17 + Chrome 54 no n/a yes yes no no no
NVDA 2016.3 + IE 11 (see notes) n/a yes yes no no no When screen reader is on, tabbing on the page does not work/makes screen reader unresponsive. Link is always a tabstop when navigating by keyboard alone.
NVDA 2016.3 + Firefox 49 yes no (reads as "unknown" yes yes (twice) no no no
NVDA 2016.3 + Chrome 54 no n/a yes yes no no no
JAWS 16 + IE 11
JAWS 16 + Firefox 38
NVDA 2014.2 + IE 11
NVDA 2014.2 + Firefox 38
VO OSX El Cap + Safari 10
VO iOS 10 + Safari
TalkBack Android 7.0 + Chrome 53

a link after all tests