Caution

This document is an English translation of the “freee Accessibility Guidelines.” The normative version of this document is in Japanese, and the English version is informational. The English translation is incomplete, and any links with their link texts left in Japanese are untranslated. Please be aware that there may be inaccuracies in the translation or parts that are outdated.

How Should Notations Like “2024-11-21 12:30” Be Read Aloud by Screen Readers?

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

Tags: Screen Reader

Question / Problem

When a date is written as “2024-11-21” screen reader pronounces it as “2024 dash 11 dash 21” instead of “November 21, 2024”. I’m concerned that this reading may be difficult to understand, so should it be written as “November 21, 2024”? Similarly, should the time be written as “12:30” as “12 30 PM”?

Answer / Conclusion

If the notation is widely used, no further action is required.

Explanation

Notations such as “2024-11-21” and “12:30” are widely used and familiar also to screen reader users, so they are not particularly difficult to understand. Therefore, there is no need to change the notation or specify hidden text that is different from the notation to change the screen reader’s reading.