RE: definition of the a/aa/aaa levels

Gregg brings up a valid point.

Skip Nav links are needed for keyboard only users visual or non-visual.

Going back to the source; our current WCAG 2.0 documentation we find 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks has a technique G1: Adding a link at the top of each page that goes directly to the main content area.

In the Description is this note.

Note: It is preferable for links to be visible at all times, since users navigating via the keyboard include switch users, those using techniques that generate keyboard strokes slowly, screen magnification software users, screen reader users working with sighted colleagues, keyboard only users and those navigating using voice recognition software. However, Success Criterion 2.4.1 does not require that they be visible when they do not have focus, and links that are visible only when they have focus can meet this success criterion.

They need to be the first link on the page and visible at lease when they receive focus with a keyboard.

Alan Smith

From: Gregg C Vanderheiden
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 8:47 PM
To: Bruce Bailey
Cc: Repsher, Stephen J; w3c-waI-gl@w3. org
Subject: Re: definition of the a/aa/aaa levels


On Mar 29, 2017, at 8:12 PM, Bailey, Bruce <Bailey@Access-Board.gov> wrote:

 Skip Nav links are not invisible.

before someone jumps in to point out that they can be invisible….. 

Skip Nav links can be invisible  (i.e. only “visible” to screen readers)  — but when you do this you deny their use to people with physical disabilities who navigate by keyboard — and have to tab trough all the headers to get to things.   So invisible Skip Nav’s are problematic for that reason.   They are also useful to people with magnifiers since it helps then jump to the core content.   

So - yes but not when done so everyone can use them. 

thanks Bruce for the notes/assessments. 

G