So.... "skip to content" => "main content"
"main content" is preferred because it gets pronounced properly by screen readers.
I describe accesskeys in an accessibility page, and don't bother markingup or styling them in any way to exposed them to users. I use content generation in my own user stylesheet to see them.
Using the title attribute to descibe the accesskey is a good idea.
Terrence Wood.
On 2004-11-25 12:43 PM, Ted Drake wrote:
In one of the accessibility forums that I attended, it was suggested we use skip to main content instead of content. Some screen readers will read content with the inflection that it will bring you happiness and a sense of content rather than give you content.
I do like your idea of being more descriptive. Our link is hidden anyways, so why not give them more information.
Here's something else I noticed, I use teh [s} to signify the access key. It looks stupid in fangs, openbracket s close bracket which is what Jaws would do. So, I think I'm going to change it to "Access Key = S"
Any ideas?
Ted www.csatravelprotection.com
-----Original Message----- From: Michael Kear [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2004 3:18 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [WSG] Sometimes you just cant help people ...
I was talking to a blind friend over the weekend, and since he uses Jaws screen reading software, the subject of web sites came up. I was observing as how we in the profession were trying to make things easier for people using other devices than a browser to use the web.
"For example, one of the things we're increasingly doing these days is having a 'skip to content' link at the top of the page. In many cases it's only visible to screen readers."
Then he floored me. He said "oh yes! I've seen those." (interesting turn of phrase from a guy who's been blind since birth) "but what are they for? I've never used them because I don't know what they do."
The point is, he didn't know what the skip-to-content link was for and therefore he wouldn't use it, lest he find himself a long way away from where he wanted to go (the content) and then have trouble getting back again. Perhaps we need to be a bit more expansive in the link itself. Perhaps instead of "skip to content' we need to have the link say "skip to the content of this page" or somesuch. A blind reader will hear Jaws say "VISITED LINK.: SKIP TO CONTENT" and thinking about it, it isn't totally obvious what that does.
Cheers
Mike Kear
AFP Webworks
Windsor, NSW, Australia
http://afpwebworks.com
.com, .net, .org etc domains start at A$20/year
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