PowerMapper
PowerMapper
Heading only punctuation Screen reader compatibility
HTML
Sep 11, 2022
Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers
Actual Result: causes problems in 70 screen reader / browser combinations
For expected failures, the results show which AT combos the failures affect. Results are recorded from the user's viewpoint, so describe the user impact of authoring errors.
Code used for this test:
<h1>,,,,</h1>
<p>Heading with only silent punctuation content</p>
Change History
Last updated: September 11, 2022
- NVDA with Chrome
Causes problems from
NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2
- NVDA with IE
Causes problems from
NVDA 2012.1 to NVDA 2019.2
- NVDA with FF
Causes problems from
NVDA 2012.1 to NVDA 2022.2
- JAWS with Chrome
Causes problems from
JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
- JAWS with IE
Causes problems from
JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
- JAWS with FF
Causes problems from
JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
- VoiceOver macOS
Causes problems from
VoiceOver macOS 10.9 to VoiceOver macOS 12.5
VoiceOver iOS
Better - caused problems in
VoiceOver iOS 12.4,
but now OK in VoiceOver iOS 15.6
WindowEyes with IE
Worse - was OK in
WindowEyes 8.4,
but now causes problems in WindowEyes 9.2- Dolphin with IE
Causes problems in
Dolphin SR 15.05
- SaToGo with IE
Causes problems in
SaToGo 3.4.96.0
| Screen reader | Browser | Mode | Notes | What the user hears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVDA 2022.2 | Chrome 105 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2022.2 | FF102 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2022.2 | Edge 105 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2021.2 | Chrome 94 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2021.2 | FF91 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2021.2 | Edge 94 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2020.2 | Chrome 86 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2020.2 | FF78 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2020.2 | Edge 92 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2019.2 | Chrome 79 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2019.2 | FF68 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2019.2 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2018.4 | Chrome 73 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2018.4 | FF60 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2018.4 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2017.3 | FF60 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2017.3 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2016.2 | FF48 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2016.2 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2015.2 | FF41 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2015.2 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2014.1 | FF29 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2014.1 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2012.1 | FF29 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| NVDA 2012.1 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2022.2207.25 | Chrome 105 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2022.2207.25 | FF102 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2022.2207.25 | Edge 105 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2021.2107.12 | Chrome 94 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2021.2107.12 | FF91 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2021.2107.12 | Edge 94 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2020.2008.24 | Chrome 86 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2020.2008.24 | FF78 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2020.2008.24 | Edge 92 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2019.1912.1 | Chrome 79 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2019.1912.1 | FF68 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2019.1912.1 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | Chrome 73 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | FF60 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 18.0.5038 | FF52 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 18.0.5038 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 17.0.2619 | FF48 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 17.0.2619 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 16.0.4350 | FF41 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 16.0.4350 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 15.0.9023 | FF29 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 15.0.9023 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 14.0.9002 | FF29 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 14.0.9002 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 13.0.852 | FF29 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| JAWS 13.0.852 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| WindowEyes 9.2 | IE11 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading 1 |
 WindowEyes 8.4 | IE11 | Heading | Heading with silent punctuation ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 12.5 | Safari 15.6 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| VoiceOver macOS 11.5 | Safari 15.0 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.15 | Safari 14.1 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1 |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.14 | Safari 13.0 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1, comma |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.13 | Safari 12.1 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1, comma |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.12 | Safari 10.1.2 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1, comma |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.11 | Safari 9.1.2 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1, comma |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.10 | Safari 9.0.1 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1, comma |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.9 | Safari 7.0.3 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1, comma |
| VoiceOver iOS 15.6 | Safari iOS 15.6 | Heading | Comma, heading level 1 | |
| VoiceOver iOS 14.7 | Safari iOS 14.7 | Heading | Comma, heading level 1 | |
| VoiceOver iOS 13.3 | Safari iOS 13.3 | Heading | Comma, heading level 1 | |
| VoiceOver iOS 12.4 | Safari iOS 12.4 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Four commas, heading level 1 |
| VoiceOver iOS 11.4 | Safari iOS 11.4 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Four commas, heading level 1 |
| VoiceOver iOS 10.3 | Safari iOS 10.3 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Comma, heading level 1 |
| VoiceOver iOS 9.1 | Safari iOS 9.1 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Comma, heading level 1 |
| VoiceOver iOS 8.4 | Safari iOS 8.4 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Comma, heading level 1 |
| VoiceOver iOS 7.1 | Safari iOS 7.1 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | Heading level 1, comma |
| Dolphin SR 15.05 | IE11 | Heading | Next heading key stops on silent heading | |
| SaToGo 3.4.96.0 | IE11 | Heading | Reads following paragraph as heading | Heading with only silent punctuation content, heading level 1 |
SortSite rules: AccHtmlHeadingEmpty
Test notes
All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.
Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:
- Reading Content read using the “read next” command in a screen reader
- Tabbing Content read using the “tab” key in a screen reader
- Heading Content read using the “next heading” key in a screen reader
- Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device
In the “What the user hears” column:
- Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
- Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the “read next” or “tab” or “next heading” command is pressed again
- Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
- (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear