PowerMapper
PowerMapper
Heading only spaces Screen reader compatibility
HTML
Sep 11, 2022
Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers
Actual Result: causes problems in 2 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 spaces content</p>
Change History
Last updated: September 11, 2022
NVDA with Chrome
Stable - OK from
NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2- NVDA with IE
Stable - OK from
NVDA 2012.1 to NVDA 2019.2
- NVDA with FF
Stable - OK from
NVDA 2012.1 to NVDA 2022.2
- JAWS with Chrome
Stable - OK from
JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
- JAWS with IE
Stable - OK from
JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
- JAWS with FF
Stable - OK from
JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
- VoiceOver macOS
Stable - OK from
VoiceOver macOS 10.9 to VoiceOver macOS 12.5
VoiceOver iOS
Better - caused problems in
VoiceOver iOS 8.4,
but now OK in VoiceOver iOS 15.6- WindowEyes with IE
Stable - OK from
WindowEyes 8.4 to WindowEyes 9.2
- Dolphin with IE
OK 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 | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2022.2 | FF102 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2022.2 | Edge 105 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2021.2 | Chrome 94 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2021.2 | FF91 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2021.2 | Edge 94 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2020.2 | Chrome 86 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2020.2 | FF78 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2020.2 | Edge 92 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2019.2 | Chrome 79 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2019.2 | FF68 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2019.2 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2018.4 | Chrome 73 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2018.4 | FF60 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2018.4 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2017.3 | FF60 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2017.3 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2016.2 | FF48 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2016.2 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2015.2 | FF41 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2015.2 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2014.1 | FF29 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2014.1 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2012.1 | FF29 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| NVDA 2012.1 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2022.2207.25 | Chrome 105 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2022.2207.25 | FF102 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2022.2207.25 | Edge 105 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2021.2107.12 | Chrome 94 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2021.2107.12 | FF91 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2021.2107.12 | Edge 94 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2020.2008.24 | Chrome 86 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2020.2008.24 | FF78 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2020.2008.24 | Edge 92 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2019.1912.1 | Chrome 79 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2019.1912.1 | FF68 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2019.1912.1 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | Chrome 73 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | FF60 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 2018.1811.2 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 18.0.5038 | FF52 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 18.0.5038 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 17.0.2619 | FF48 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 17.0.2619 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 16.0.4350 | FF41 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 16.0.4350 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 15.0.9023 | FF29 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 15.0.9023 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 14.0.9002 | FF29 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 14.0.9002 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 13.0.852 | FF29 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| JAWS 13.0.852 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| WindowEyes 9.2 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| WindowEyes 8.4 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 12.5 | Safari 15.6 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 11.5 | Safari 15.0 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.15 | Safari 14.1 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.14 | Safari 13.0 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.13 | Safari 12.1 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.12 | Safari 10.1.2 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.11 | Safari 9.1.2 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.10 | Safari 9.0.1 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver macOS 10.9 | Safari 7.0.3 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver iOS 15.6 | Safari iOS 15.6 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver iOS 14.7 | Safari iOS 14.7 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver iOS 13.3 | Safari iOS 13.3 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver iOS 12.4 | Safari iOS 12.4 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver iOS 11.4 | Safari iOS 11.4 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver iOS 10.3 | Safari iOS 10.3 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver iOS 9.1 | Safari iOS 9.1 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| VoiceOver iOS 8.4 | Safari iOS 8.4 | Heading | Unlabeled heading announced | One, heading level 1 |
| VoiceOver iOS 7.1 | Safari iOS 7.1 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| Dolphin SR 15.05 | IE11 | Heading | Empty heading ignored | |
| SaToGo 3.4.96.0 | IE11 | Heading | Reads following paragraph as heading | Heading with only spaces 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