[Modules] Code 'Next' and 'Previous' on Module Pages as Buttons

[froye001]

Problem statement:

The navigation items on Module pages labeled 'Next' and 'Previous' appear as buttons but are coded as links. For users of assistive devices, these navigation items are functionally indistinguishable from all other links found in the page's content. As a result, users of assistive devices are at a disadvantage when attempting to quickly navigate and advance through module pages. Visually, these navigation items appear as buttons which means sighted users who navigate by mouse can quickly jump to and progress through Modules. For screen readers, these navigation items are links, which means the user must click through all links on the page before gaining the ability to progress through the Module. For users who rely on key commands or voice control, the items cannot be jumped to. Like screen reader users, they must click through all links on the page.

Proposed solution:

Code the 'Next' and 'Previous' navigation items on Module pages as Buttons to make the experience of users who rely on assistive technologies equivalent to the experience of sighted users who navigate by mouse. It looks like a button so it should be coded as a button.

User role(s):

instructor,student,ta

[AllisonHowell]

Thank you so much for this idea submission. We definitely understand the frustration; however, changing this would create an anti-pattern for other assistive technology users. The differences between buttons and links are pretty standard in the a11y community in that buttons will perform an in-page action and links are used for navigation.  Because these do navigate the user to a new URL, they should be links. We definitely understand that changes like these can sometimes affect how users navigate our pages, but we should be following standard guidelines and common practices to ensure that the experience is consistent for all a11y users.