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Tools used by sighted keyboard users - or, are skiplinks still required even when using ARIA landmarks?

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From: Brendan McKeon
Date: Aug 14, 2012 4:37PM

Hi all;



I'm trying to get a better understanding of who sighted keyboard users are,
and what tools - if any - they use.



I figure that keyboard users in general breaks down into two groups; those
who can use a mouse but who use the keyboard as a preference - typically
power users - and those who cannot use a mouse, and who are therefore
dependent on the keyboard alone. The former at least have the option of
bailing and using the mouse to skip over large areas of links or to click
otherwise inaccessible items; that latter don't have that option.



I'm familiar with the technologies used by blind users - namely
screenreaders - but I'm less familiar with the techniques used by sighted
keyboard-only users. Screenreader users have a variety of tools at their
disposal, and can navigate a page by heading outline, ARIA landmark, or
browse links, form elements and so on. Are there similar tools or plugins
used by sighted keyboard users? How widespread are they? It's usually
assumed that a blind user must be using a screenreader (or equivalent
technology, such as a self-voicing browser); can anything similar be said
regarding keyboard-only users? I know there's several browser plug-ins out
there that can help; are there any in particular that are more widely-used
than others?



Here's an example of how this impacts web developers: WCAG Success Criterion
2.4.1 requires the ability to bypass navigation or other similar blocks, and
is often implemented via 'skip links', which when implemented correctly, can
be used by both screenreader users and sighted keyboard users. However, if
ARIA landmarks are used instead, then only screenreader users benefit;
sighted keyboard users instead have to tab-tab-tab. Unless, that is, that
the majority of sighted keyboard users have available to them and are using
a tool that gives them comparable support. If not, it would seem that
developers would need to continue to implement skip-links if they want to be
conformant which this.



Thanks, Brendan.



--

Brendan McKeon | <EMAIL REMOVED>