Re: Skip to content link

Since this appears to be a Single Page Application, as the others have
said, then the "Next Page" button (or link) at the end of each page must
call some JavaScript to refresh the page (instead of loading a new page as
a normal website would do). Even if the Next Page thing is a link with an
href (which would normally move on to another page and start at the top),
the JavaScript will override it.

In SPAs, it is the responsibility of the developer to ensure that, when the
page refreshes with the new content, the focus is set to a sensible place.
I think that is what is wrong here - that isn't being done correctly, or at
least the way you want.

If the developer doesn't change the focus position at all, the position
will be a bit haphazard, or maybe carry over from where it was before the
page refreshed. But from what you say it appears that the same thing
happens every time. So I suspect the developer is setting the focus to the
#main-content element. (It certainly isn't due to "because the anchor in
the URL #main-content' is always there".)

If you want the page to start at the top (and thus look to the user as if
it is a normal web page, which is often the best way to do it as that is
what users expect), then you need to ask the developer to set the keyboard
focus to the very top of the page. Then the keyboard user will have the
choice of following the skip link to the main content, or go into the
header content if that's what they want. Always allow the user to choose. I
think what your developer has done is taking that choice away, and forcing
them to start on the main content, which is not necessarily what the user
wants.

Having said all that, your main heading, and all other content that is not
part of the header that appears on all pages, should be inside the <main>
element. And the #main-content id, which identifies the target for the skip
link, should also be on the <main> element. It isn't really good practice
to have them on separate elements, because then things happen as in this
case, the skip link ends up jumping over stuff which it shouldn't, like the
h1 heading in this case.

Finally, on a different matter, perhaps you can help me. I took a look at
the gov.uk home page recently, for other reasons not connected with this,
and I have found half or dozen or so wcag non-compliances and accessibility
issues. That is a shame, because it it is otherwise almost fully WCAG
compliant - and gov.uk has an excellent a11y reputation to uphold. (And we
in the industry would like a page that we can point people to as an example
and say that is 100% compliant, and gov.uk should qualify!) Do you have the
influence to correct these things? Or can you put me in touch with someone
who can? If so, contact me on guy.hickling@gmail.com, and I'll give
you/them details of the issues. (I don't really want to add it into the
Report this Page facility as I suspect that is a bottomless pit that
nothing ever comes out of!)

Regards,
Guy Hickling
Accessibility Consultant