Navigation Links

Accessibility Standards Checklist

Requirement

A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links.

Reason

When a navigation bar appears at the top of a page or down the left side of the page, users who are reading the page with a screen reader must listen to all links across the top and down the left side before getting to the main content. This occurs for each page visited on the site when consistent layouts are used. However, sighted users can ignore the links and go directly to the main content. The purpose of this requirement is to remedy this inequity. The goal is to enable users to quickly bypass all the groups of links, such as navigation bars and tables of contents, to get to the main starting portions of the page.

Examples

The Web page template provided by the Governor's office has built this element into the template. By using the header template code, your Web page will satisfy this requirement.

Skip to Main

Navigation bars are usually the first thing someone encounters on a page. For users with screen readers, this means listening to the same list of links on every page before reaching the content. There are several ways to allow users to bypass groups of links. Include a link that allows users to skip over the set of navigation links:

  • <a href="#skipnav"><img src="blank.gif" alt="skip to main content."></a>

    You can create a blank image that is 1 width by 1 height with a link around it and place it at the top of the page to the left so that it is the first item read by a screen reader. This is so that sighted users will never know of its existence and visually impaired users will encounter it. Or you can simply put a link around text that states its purpose.

    OR
  • <a href="#skipnav">&nbsp;</a>

Both links lead to a named anchor: <a name="skipnav">Content begins here.</a>

Suggestions for testing this on your pages

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