Skip link
A skip link bypasses repeated navigation and leads to the main content. The destination must also work for subsequent keyboard navigation.
A skip link provides a direct route past repeated page regions, for example from navigation to the main content. Keyboard users can then avoid going through every unchanged menu item whenever they move to another page.
Check the next step at the destination
In a fictional customer portal, the page starts with a “Skip to main content” link. After activating it, the person should be able to continue working in the area for their current request. If only the view scrolls, but the next tab movement returns to the top menu, the intended route is not doing its job.
Visibility and focus matter too
W3C technique G1 describes an early link to the main content and checking its focus destination. The link must be visible when it receives keyboard focus if it is not permanently displayed. Check activation and subsequent navigation in the interface being used. This technique is one way to bypass repeated blocks; it is not complete evidence of the portal’s accessibility.
Sources
Related terms
- Focus orderFocus order determines the route through focusable elements. It should preserve meaning and operability, including during dynamic changes.
- Keyboard trapA keyboard trap leaves keyboard users stuck within a region. Deliberately containing focus in a dialog needs a keyboard-operable exit.
- Accessible nameAn accessible name labels a control for assistive technology. It should explain the action and agree with the visible text.
- Search suggestionA search suggestion offers a possible query while someone types. Selection, submission and the later results list need to work together clearly.
- Interactive prototypeAn interactive prototype responds to selected actions. It can reveal a path through an interface without implementing the real processing behind it.
- PrototypeA prototype makes a design testable against a specific question. Its form and scope follow the uncertainty that needs to be resolved.
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