Navigation for the database feature is a list of links, by default:

• View list
• View single
• Search
• Add entry

This is presented to sighted users as a tab bar, and to screen reader users as a list.

"View list" wasn't used when asked to tell me how many links existed, instead read all link numbers.

Why it matters

Neither a list or tab bar is appropriate in this context. Jakob Nielsen says, "Tabs should be reserved for letting users change the view while staying in the same place." This list mixes search, selection, and other controls in one place.

This may seem like a purely academic abstraction, but in fact it matters greatly: the essence of a list is that the items are related to one another. For screen reader users, deeply accustomed to skipping what they perceive as cruft, if the first item or two of a list does not immediately interest them the rest of the list is likely to be skipped.

No screen reader user found the "Search" or "Add entry" features organically, only when explicitly prompted, and then only by searching a list of links. No screen reader user found and used the "View list" feature.

Possible solution

"Add entry" and "Search" should be featured near the top of the page, and not in a list. "View list" should be made renamed "Return to list" and made the default view. The link should only visible when not in list view. "View single" should be removed.