Assistive Access: URL links in emails not working

I have an elderly parent who has just about completed a fairly painful transition from an old Android phone to an iphone using Assisted Access. Any technology transition is hard for people with vision and cognition challenges. But we got there.

Assisted Access as a concept is great, it's very nearly as good in execution, just with a lot of rough edges and gaps. I now have just one thing left that I can't figure out.

Using the Mail app (in Assistive Access), it works OK, but URLs/links inside the body of emails just do not work. No links open any destination in any browser. I've tried Chrome and Safari, and using Mail, Gmail and Outlook. Tried changing default browser. All have the same problem, internet links of any type in the body of a mail do not do anything in Assistive Access.

It all works fine in standard mode, just not AA.

No mention of this described as a limitation anywhere I can find, and it might be showstopper for my elderly parent who does still receive and read emails.

How can I press a link on an email in Assistive Access, Mail app, and be taken to the destination in Safari?