Screen reader software support for the TITLE attribute. [draft version]

Testing conducted 2005

Introduction

This testing [ongoing] has been motivated by the desire to clarify how and if screen reading software renders text content contained within the TITLE attribute. There have been many discussions, recommendations and opinions published about the practical use of the TITLE attribute, but there has been a paucity of data to back up the recommendations and opinions expressed. This is an attempt to provide such data so that more informed reccomendations can be made in the future.

Screen reader software tested

Notes:

For form controls a "yes" indicates that the TITLE attribute is spoken by the screen reading software, when the HTML element it is attached to obtains focus, using the software's default settings [unless otherwise noted].
For form controls a "no" indicates that the TITLE attribute content is not spoken by the screen reading software, when the HTML element it is attached to obtains focus, using the software's default settings [unless otherwise noted].
Results are reported in multiple modes for HPR, as outputting of the title text varies depending upon mode used.
The research is not complete. In particular support for the TITLE on the FRAME element still needs to be examine

Screen reader software support for the TITLE attribute.
HTML Element and type	Jaws 4.02 table note [1]	Jaws 4.51 table note [2]	Window eyes 4.02 table note [3]	HPR 3.0 [items mode]	HPR 3.0 [controls mode]	HPR 3.04 [items mode]	HPR 3.04 [controls mode]	Supernova 6.5 table note [16]
input type="text"	yes	yes	yes	no	Yes	no	Yes table note [4]	no
input type="password"	yes	yes	yes	no	Yes	no	Yes [4]	no
input type="button"	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no	no	no
input type="submit"	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no	no	no
input type="image"	yes table note [9]	yes table note [9]	Yes table note [15]	no [5]	no table note [5]	no table note [6]	yes table note [7]	no
input type="radio"	yes	yes	yes	no	Yes	no	Yes table note [8]	no
input type="checkbox"	yes	yes	yes	no	Yes	no	Yes table note [8]	no
select	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no	Yes table note [8]	no
option	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no	no
textarea	yes	yes	yes	no	Yes	no	Yes table note [8]	no
button	not tested	not tested	not tested	not tested	not tested	not tested	not tested	not tested
a	yes table note [10]	yes table note [10]	yes table note [10]	no table note [11]	no table note [12] [links mode]	no table note [11]	no table note [13] [links mode]	no
acronym/abbr	yes table note [10]	yes table note [10]	yes table note [10]	yes table note [10]	yes table note [10]	yes table note [10]	yes table note [10]	no
img	not tested	not tested	not tested	not tested	not tested	no	no	no
area (image map)	not tested	not tested	not tested	not tested	not tested	no	no table note [14] [links mode]	no
object	not tested	not tested	not tested	no	no	no	no	no
Other elements table note [17]	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no

Table notes

table note [1] overrides LABEL element if present
table note [2] LABEL element overrides if present (in forms and non-forms mode).
table note [3] LABEL element overrides if present .
table note [4] explicitly/implicitly associated label overrides if present.
table note [5] reads ALT (if present) otherwise SRC path
table note [6] reads ALT (if present) otherwise TITLE
table note [7] if ALT present reads TITLE & alt.
table note [8] explicitly associated label overrides if present.
table note [9] ignores ALT if TITLE present
table note [10] not a default setting
table note [11] reads TITLE content when A element contains no content.
table note [12] reads TITLE content when A element contains no content (no text or image with empty ALT attribute).
table note [13] reads TITLE content when A element contains no content (no text or image with empty ALT attribute).
table note [14] reads TITLE attribute content if no ALT attribute present.
table note [15] reads both ALT & TITLE if TITLE present.
table note [16] Supernova will speak TITLE texts when a user mouses over an A or INPUT elements, this is not a default setting. TITLE text is spoken on A elemnts on focus, but only if the A elemnt does not contain any text content. Dophin [makers of Supernova] have indicated that there is an option [not by default] to speak TITLE texts on form controls on focus, but there is a bug in the software that results in the content of a form controls NAME attribute being spoken instead of the TITLE text. They have further indicated that this issue will be resolved at a later date.
table note [17] only partial testing of elements completed

Author: Steven Faulkner
Technical Director
TPG Europe
sfaulkner@paciellogroup.com

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