Improve accessibility of Names pages for screen reader users

[DeniseColbert]

Screen readers will try to pronounce words rather than spell them out, where possible. Many names sound the same when read out e.g. Abbey, Abby, Abbe, Abey, which is unhelpful to screen reader users.

However, the main issue for the not-lists of Names is that a screen reader will read each group 'in one breath', as it were, and there is no way to pause the reading or go back a few names to check the pronunciation and spelling — an experienced user can ask for a letter-by-letter reading of a Name provided it is marked up as a list-item. At present, most of our groups of Names are marked up as a single paragraph with no punctuation.

The solution is to mark up each block of Names as a true list, with each Name as a li. This will allow for pauses, letter-by-letter reading and going back.

See FreeCEN: "Surnames recorded in the Database for Alcester in Warwickshire in 1891" for an example of an accessible listing, although the title element is incomplete, so there is work left to do!

[AlOneill]

As I have commented elsewhere, we probably need to warn users in our Accessibility statement that there are such homonyms on some pages. Then a screen reader user can switch to reading individual characters rather than words. Not perfect but … is there any other way?