Re: Using Heading to Replace Skip Links

On 09/05/2012 02:08, Kazuhito Kidachi wrote:
> Hello,
>
> On Wed, May 9, 2012 at 9:34 AM, Vivienne CONWAY<v.conway@ecu.edu.au>  wrote:
>> Taken together, my interpretation is you can’t use headings alone to claim conformance with 2.4.1 since they bypass blocks in screen readers but not other assistive technology (e.g. screen magnifiers, switches, voice recognition etc.). It looks the conformance requirements are designed to provide a safety net for cases like this."
>
> I have similar understanding, and I feel that it's not reasonable if
> all of the web pages which do not provide skip links can't comply with
> WCAG2 A, even if the pages do have proper document structure with
> proper headings (and proper landmarks of WAI-ARIA). Due to the
> situation, SC 2.4.1 is valid for level AA, rather than level A, IMHO.

On the other hand, users that DO rely on keyboard-only navigation should 
also be using tools that make it easier for them to do so. Vivienne 
mentions Opera, but then dismisses the heading navigation there on the 
grounds that it's a "hidden option"...but, if I'm a user that relies on 
this sort of navigation, part of my duty would also be to investigate 
which tools give me the best possible experience, and this would be an 
option for me - we can of course argue about discoverability etc.

There are also additional tools (extensions for browsers like Firefox) 
that also achieve this sort of "skipping to headings" style of navigation.

I believe the important part is that it's technically/programmatically 
possible for users to navigate the structure of a page in a sensible and 
easy manner. Not all browsers/tools/AT will be able to, but as long as 
there's at least one tool that does support sensible navigation in this 
fashion, I'd argue that the SC is satisfied. IMHO of course.

P
-- 
Patrick H. Lauke
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Received on Wednesday, 9 May 2012 01:29:53 UTC