Screen reader test page

Live regions

1. Press one of the buttons below. Its three messages arrive 5 seconds later, 4 seconds apart.
2. Press H to jump to the heading “Text to read”, then press Down Arrow to read the paragraph under it. In VoiceOver on a Mac, use VO + Command + H, then VO + Down Arrow; on an iPhone, swipe right.
3. Listen: is each message read once the paragraph ends, does it cut the paragraph off, or is it not read at all?
4. For Say all, press the button again, jump to the heading, and press Insert + Down Arrow in JAWS and NVDA, VO + A on a Mac, or swipe down with two fingers on an iPhone.

Text to read

This paragraph is here to be read while the messages arrive. Linen is woven from the fibres of the flax plant, which grows well in cool, damp places. After the harvest, the stems are left in the field for some weeks, so that rain and dew loosen the fibres from the woody core. The fibres are then combed out, spun into yarn and woven on a loom. A linen towel is stiff at first and grows softer every time it is washed, and it dries faster than cotton. Because the fibres are long, the cloth wears slowly and lasts for many years.

aria-describedby

1. Tab to the field.
2. Listen: is the hint read after the field’s name?
3. Then move past the field with Down Arrow, and listen again.

aria-invalid="true"

1. Tab to the field.
2. Listen: does the screen reader say the field is invalid?
3. Then move past the field with Down Arrow, and listen again.

aria-current="page"

1. Tab through the three links.
2. Listen: is the second link said to be the current page?
3. Then move through the links with Down Arrow, and listen again.

aria-expanded

1. Tab to the button and press it with Enter or Space.
2. Listen: does the screen reader say it is now expanded?
3. Tab away, Tab back to the button, and listen again.

aria-pressed

1. Tab to the button and press it with Enter or Space.
2. Listen: does the screen reader say it is now pressed?
3. Tab away, Tab back to the button, and listen again.

lang

1. Read the paragraph below with Down Arrow.
2. Listen: is the French phrase read with a French voice, or with the page’s voice?
3. Read it again with Say all, and listen again.

In the towns where linen is woven, a shop sign may read Lin tissé à la main, lavé et prêt à l’emploi, which means hand-woven linen, washed and ready to use.

<dialog>

1. Tab to the button and press it. The dialog opens with showModal().
2. Listen: is the dialog’s name read, and its text, before you do anything else?
3. Close it with Cancel or Escape.

Shortcuts

These test the screen reader’s own keys, before any attribute. The keys for each screen reader are on Screen reader shortcuts by task.

Say all

1. Move to the first of the two paragraphs below and start Say all.
2. Listen: does it read straight on into the second paragraph, or pause between them?

The flax is pulled from the ground by hand, roots and all, so that the fibres stay as long as possible.

The longest fibres are spun into the fine yarn used for towels; the short ones become thread for sacks.

Tab into a field

1. Tab to the field below.
2. Type the letter H.
3. Listen and look: does the letter go into the field (typing mode), or does the screen reader jump to a heading (still reading mode)?

Next heading

1. Move to this heading, then press the next-heading key twice.
2. Listen: is each heading’s level said, such as “heading level 4”?

Care: wash at 40 degrees

Drying: line dry in the shade