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RE: Visible skip navigation links, was: good example

for

From: Jon Gunderson
Date: Nov 13, 2003 10:34AM


Including headers (H1-H6) for section titles is also a useful way to
implement skip navigation bars. Screen readers and the Opera Browser allow
user to navigate header markup.

Jon


At 11:11 AM 11/13/2003 -0600, Jim Thatcher wrote:

>I don't think the 508 provision on skip navigation is puts the whole
>burden on the author any more than the requirement to provide text equivalents.
>
>
>
>I totally agree that a structured approach makes much more sense and I
>would be delighted to see authors and browsers collaborate to provide such
>cool navigation.
>
>
>
>For now, however, I look for techniques to allow users to jump around the
>page. The major screen readers and HPR have, somehow, fixed the problem I
>raised (skip links often don't work with the tab key); so you might say
>that the user agents and author team up to make it work. But often, as I
>indicated with acb.org, it doesn't work without the AT.
>
>
>
>Jim
>
>Accessibility, What Not to do: http://jimthatcher.com/whatnot.htm.
>
>Web Accessibility Tutorial:
>http://jimthatcher.com/webcourse1.htm.
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jon Gunderson [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
>Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2003 10:36 AM
>To: Jim Thatcher
>Cc: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>Subject: RE: Visible skip navigation links, was: good example
>
>
>
>Jim Thatcher points out the fundamental problem with the skip
>
>navigation requirement of Section 508. Putting the whole burden on the
>author will
>
>always lead to browser compatibility issues. It should be a shared
>
>burden. Authors should be required to use some markup like the MAP
>
>element (which can use text links) to indicated collections of related
>links on a pages (often
>
>there are more than one navigation bar on a page) and browsers should be
>
>required to allow users to either move keyboard focus over the links
>
>contained in the MAP elements or move to the first link of a navigation
>
>bar. This allows for users to not only skip over navigation bars, but
>
>allows them to skip to a navigation bar if they waant to go to a different
>
>link.
>
>
>
>Jon
>
>
>
>
>
>On Thu, 13 Nov 2003, Jim Thatcher wrote:
>
>
>
> > Has anyone tried the visible skip link at, say, http://www.acb.org? Tab to
>
> > "skip navigation links," press enter to follow the link and then tab again.
>
> > Oops! My version of IE on Windows XP puts the selection back on the skip
>
> > link. I believe it is a fundamental bug in IE. Basically, in-page links
>
> > don't work correctly.
>
> >
>
> > It seems, as we discuss solutions like skipping navigation, we ought to be
>
> > sure they work as expected. The frustration of navigating the web must be
>
> > heightened and aggravated when presented "solutions" just don't work.
>
> >
>
> > There are a couple of work-arounds that I know about. Make the named
> anchor,
>
> > actually an empty link - this is annoying for some but most reliable. It
>
> > seems also that when the named anchor is in a table cell, then tabbing
>
> > works.
>
> >
>
> > Jim
>
> > Accessibility, What Not to do: http://jimthatcher.com/whatnot.htm.
>
> > Web Accessibility Tutorial: http://jimthatcher.com/webcourse1.htm.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > -----Original Message-----
>
> > From: Stephanie Sullivan [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
>
> > Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2003 8:29 AM
>
> > To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>
> > Subject: Re: Visible skip navigation links, was: good example
>
> >
>
> > on 11/13/03 8:19 AM, Karl Groves at <EMAIL REMOVED> profoundly spewed
>
> > forth their very articulate thoughts:
>
> >
>
> > > You're saying that those with motor impairments can use the skip link
> as a
>
> > > method to more quickly get to in-context links?
>
> >
>
> > That's what I've been trying to say... And Andrew said it SO much better...
>
> > ;) Screenreaders (used mainly for sight impairment) can use both
> visual and
>
> > Tom Gilder-type skip links... So can people who surf by tabbing through web
>
> > pages (used mainly for motor impairment ... Or as someone else pointed out,
>
> > when you break your mouse. ;).
>
> >
>
> > The people who DON'T have any use for a skip link are the elderly who
> use a
>
> > mouse and are trying to click on the 1 x 1 skiplink (as the original
> example
>
> > said)... That would not happen because a person, surfing visually, using a
>
> > mouse, will not have any use for a skip link. They will place their
> mouse in
>
> > the page at the place they want to go to (or link they wan to click)...
>
> >
>
> > This is all I've been trying to say from the beginning... ;) Thanks
> Andrew.
>
> > :D
>
> >
>
> > 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
>
> >
>
> > "Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative
>
> > effort." --Franklin D. Roosevelt
>
> >
>
> >
>
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>
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>
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>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > ----
>
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, suspend, or view list archives,
>
> > visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
>
> >
>
>

Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
MC-574
College of Applied Life Studies
University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
1207 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820

Voice: (217) 244-5870
Fax: (217) 333-0248

E-mail: <EMAIL REMOVED>

WWW: http://cita.rehab.uiuc.edu/
WWW: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund



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