Skip Navigation Links are Important

Skip Navigation Links are Important

Providing linksthat allow the user to skip directly to content, bypassing thenavigation, enhances the accessibility of your web site. This isrecommended for blind or visually impaired users, people who use screenreaders, and also for text-browsers, mobile phones and PDAs (PersonalDigital Assistants). These links are common on most US, UK, Irish, andother government websites, as well as many universities and privateorganizations.

From the accessibility and usability point of view, it is recommended that you make such links visible. Why?

In his article titled "Providing Skip Links", Frank Gayne of frontend.com explains:

"Skiplinks would be useful for people who cannot easily use a mouse. Many ofthese people depend on tabbing in order to make progress through aninterface and might appreciate a skip links feature to lighten theamount of work they have to do. If there is no visible focus to letthese people know they have hit a link, then this useful feature islost to them."

How can you build such links? Immediately afterthe logo of your web site, insert the skip link: Skip over navigation.Does the link have to go after the logo? Many web sites have the Skipnavigation or Skip to main content links before the logo of the page,but a logo is the precursor of a web page. It lets the user know whatwebsite he/she is on.

For example, if a Screen Reader userclicks an internal link on your page, your logo's alternate textattribute tells the user that he/she has not yet left your website. Ifthe Skip navigation link is before this logo, then the user does notknow immediately which website he/she is on.

In many occasions,web site developers or their clients do not wish to have the Skipnavigation or Skip to main content link visible, with the excuse thatit does not fit in their design. In this case they might use atechnique wrapping the accessibility text or links in an HTML divsetting it to display: none or visibility: hidden. The problem withthis technique is that it does not always work as expected. Some screenreaders do not speak material that is marked display: none orvisibility hidden, and others depend on how the style is specified. Tosolve this problem, you could make them invisible with the technique ofusing transparent graphics. Check the links below to learn how:

* Skipping Over Navigation Links
Diveintoaccessibility.org - day_11_skipping_over_navigation_links.html

* Skip to Main Content Link
Washington.edu/accessit/AU/tutorial/ins.html

Afterall, do your web pages have Skip navigation or Skip to main contentlinks? If not, it should be time to build them...

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