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RE: repetitive navigation

for

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Feb 6, 2003 11:00AM

Yes, you can hide the text in links that allow users to skip to the main
content, but then we're once again up against the problem that this hides an
accessibility feature from those who *can* see and who *cannot* use a mouse.


Imagine this scenario:
A man with quadriplegia uses a switch access system to use the Internet. In
simplistic terms, this is a button that he touches with his head. He moves
his head to the left to touch the button, which essentially acts like the
tab key on a keyboard. In order to navigate through the page, he taps his
head on the switch at his left. This system works as long as 1. the page is
keyboard-accessible and 2. he does not get too fatigued. As you can imagine,
tapping your head on a switch can get pretty tiresome, especially if you
have to tap 20 or 30 times on every page in order to reach the main content.

I have oversimplified the above scenario, but the fact remains that people
like this man could definitely use links that skip to the main content. It
will save them time and fatigue.

Having said this, I have to say that there still may be instances in which
using invisible text can be a good thing. Use this as your criteria: if the
text will only benefit screen reader users, and if it will be extraneous
information to all other users, then go ahead and hide the text.

The technique of hiding text is one that is good to know, but it must be
applied wisely.

Paul Bohman
Technology Coordinator
WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind)
www.webaim.org
Center for Persons with Disabilities
www.cpd.usu.edu
Utah State University
www.usu.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED> [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 6:39 AM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: RE: repetitive navigation


You could hide the 4 words from CSS aware browsers such as:

<a name="maincontent" style="display: none">Begin your main content
here.</a>

or you set up the style as a class but either way, the text is hidden.

HTH,

Jules





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