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Where Does The Idea Screen Reader Users Use Tab for Main Navigation Come From?

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From: Brandon Keith Biggs
Date: Oct 11, 2018 4:19AM

Hello,

Does anyone know where the idea that screen reader users mostly use tab to
navigate comes from?



I've been using and teaching screen reader usage on Windows, Linux, and IOS
for over 15 years and I would say I press most keys on my keyboard more
than I press my tab key. My navigation keys are the arrow keys and browser
mode navigation keys. Tab is used in select situations when it is either
impossible or time-consuming to navigate using the arrow keys. If you use
tab to navigate, you miss lots of information, such as everything in <p> or
<h*> elements. Contrary to what I see accessibility professionals saying,
tab is not how I move through a page at all. In fact, I would say 90% of
web pages I visit I never press the tab key. When I teach people how to use
the screen reader, I tell them only to use tab to navigate between form
fields because it is faster. Otherwise, use the arrow keys because you get
much more information.

Does anyone know why tab is considered to be the main way screen reader
users navigate? Are there studies showing that tab is really the way screen
reader users navigate?

It's harmful when developers make an experience that is only accessible
using tab and I miss it because I'm using the arrow keys.

Thanks,


Brandon Keith Biggs <http://brandonkeithbiggs.com/>;