Screen Reader Guide

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PRACTICE 6 OF 6 · Dynamic updates

Infinite scroll and load more

Load more results and confirm new content and result counts are communicated.

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Time: 10-15 minutes
Objective

Check whether newly inserted result sets are announced without losing the user's place.

PREPARE

Set up your test

  1. Turn on a screen reader you know how to operate.
  2. Navigate by controls or use Tab where the task asks you to.
  3. Listen for purpose and state, not one exact sequence of spoken words.

WORKING EXAMPLE

Establish the expected behavior

Activate Load more. Listen for the result count update and check where your next navigation lands.

  1. Accessibility audit checklist
  2. Screen reader test plan

Expected behavior: users hear that new results were added and can continue from a predictable place.

INTENTIONAL DEFECT

Find the barrier

The example below deliberately contains one accessibility defect. Skip the defective example.

Activate Load more. Determine whether the insertion is announced.

  1. Accessibility audit checklist
  2. Screen reader test plan
Hint

If the page changes below the current focus without any status, the user may not know new content arrived.

End of intentional defect.

DIAGNOSE

Choose the primary cause

What is the primary issue with the defective load-more pattern?

EXPLANATION

Understand and repair it

Reveal explanation

What happened

The defective example appends results visually but provides no status update. In infinite-scroll interfaces, users can also lose their place when content loads unexpectedly.

Repair

Prefer an explicit Load more button when possible. Announce how many results were added and keep focus stable unless moving focus is part of a tested pattern.

<p role="status">2 more results loaded. 4 results total.</p>

Retest

  • Load more results and confirm the update is announced.
  • Confirm focus does not jump unexpectedly.
  • Continue navigating and confirm new results are reachable in order.

Report it

Example: Activating Load more inserts new results without any status message, so screen reader users may not know the list changed.

Standards and support

This exercise describes behavior rather than promising identical speech across screen reader and browser combinations.

Editorially reviewed 20 July 2026.