Mark up quotations  
WAI / WCAG 1.0 Priority 2 checkpoint 3.7
 
 
Issue Description

The page may contain quotations (references to comments made by an outside source) that are not properly coded in HTML.

 
 
How to check

Check if the page contains quotations (i.e. references comments made by an outside source). If so, ensure that they are correctly marked up in HTML with BLOCKQUOTE or with Q elements. A better option would be if the formatting properties are specified with CSS rules.

Use the BLOCKQUOTE element to mark up a long quotation (one or more paragraphs long). Use the Q element to quote a shorter sentence. (BLOCKQUOTE is a block-level tag; Q is an inline-level tag.)

 
 
Issue Explanation

Appropriate markup of quotations is useful for website visitors using screen readers or reading browsers because the browser may use a different voice or a different pitch when reading the quotations.

In this way the listener is able to perceive the difference in the discourse.