markup conventions: a "toplinks" convention

I did a quick search in the techniques document for "top" and
came away with nothing; that does not prove that this item
is not yet covered, but I don't know that it is in there so
I spelled it out.

This is a technique.  It is a response to the the problem the
speech user has with long lists of pro-forma navigation links at
the head of a page.  There was a thread coordinated by Paul
Adelson which documented well that this is an issue worthy of
remediation.

It is a mild revision of the practice on the ACB website that
addresses this need.

1. There is a link destination with NAME="start-reading" .

2. First or second among the navigation links at the head
of the page there is a link to this point with text content
of "skip navigation links" .

2a. This text could be the ALT text of an invisible graphic,
as with the "invisible D-link" technique.

2b. My icon for this link would be a simple diagram of a
playground slide.

2c. The WAI should not standardize the icon for this link at
this time.  That is a good topic for an art student contest
after the text values associated with the link have been
frozen.

The specific text of the anchor name and link text are amenable
to change by the GL WG and the public review process, but both of
these strings should be a topic of recommended usage in the
guidelines document.

That's a proposal for consideration.

Al

Received on Wednesday, 4 November 1998 10:07:38 UTC