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Re: Visible skip navigation links, was: good example

for

From: Stephanie Sullivan
Date: Nov 10, 2003 10:35AM

on 11/10/03 12:14 PM, Spruill, Kevin (NIH/NLM) at <EMAIL REMOVED>
profoundly spewed forth their very articulate thoughts:

> One example would be a senior citizen who has a slight palsy (shaking of the
> hand(s)) - asking them to find, let alone select a 1x1 or similar "invisible
> gif" is cruel... Though the link may be accessible via keyboard (accesskey
> and/or tab), if they're not used to navigating that way it's going to be
> problematic. Then there's also the fact that if they don't know the skip
> link is there, they can't use it.
>
> Having the skip link for users of screen readers is a good start, but
> consideration should be given for everyone.
>
> Examples:
>
> http://nihseniorhealth.gov
> http://medlineplus.gov/

Though I understand what you're saying and I do agree we're dealing with
"everyone with a disability" here, the above example doesn't work for me...

If someone is navigating with a screenreader, skip links done properly
work... If someone is tabbing through a page, when done properly, they
work... But why would a elderly person who is USING A MOUSE as you say need
to skip the navigation?? The navigation is not taking up the whole page
(it's generally at the top or on the side)... They must be reading? And if
they want to navigate to another page, they'll click a link...

??

In the above site on nihseniorhealth.gov (nice example on the top bar btw),
if I'm sighted and using a mouse, I clicked skip nav and it doesn't do
anything... Because there's nothing to skip really. There's just a menu on
that page...

It would, however, be helpful to screen readers or people who navigate with
the keyboard.

Am I missing something here?

Stephanie Sullivan

Contributing Author .: "Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 Magic" :. New Riders
CommunityMX Team Member :: http://www.communitymx.com
Technical Editor .: "DreamweaverMX Killer Tips" :. New Riders
VioletSky Design :: http://www.violetsky.net

"Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the
shade." -- Benjamin Franklin



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