Accessibility Overview
Accessibility is a buzz word in use (in web development) at the moment. It is though an extremely important aspect of any web implementation for many reasons. Above all else it is ethically correct to provide support for persons who have motor and/or visual impairments. We should not merely pay lip service to the concept I think you'll agree.
On this page I'm going to focus on Web Page Access Keys, their inclusion on web pages and the browser support for these (keys) in the popular web browsers. Access keys are though, just one of many access initiative technologies used in web page implementations today. Other technologies, which are also utilised as aids to web page users, include page-readers (which can be installed on the client machine) and page-magnifiers, which are available in several of the popular browsers and can be 'switched on' by the user in his or her browser.
In using Access key techniques, we simply set out to assign shortcut keys that enable various functionalities of an application or web-page to be accessed more easily. For instance we may remove the need to move the cursor to, say, a button or link on any page by assigning an 'access key' to that button or link. Hence (it has been shown) that web users do save a lot of time and effort, and also improve their workflow and user experience, when using access keys.
User Agent Access keys
In short, access keys offer a useful and convenient mechanism for people with motor skill difficulties to enable them to navigate sites more efficiently.
User Agent access key combination support can be patchy and users may encounter problems when trying to use these methods, depending on the browser version you have installed.
I have provided links below to sites where you can download and install the latest versions of popular web browsers. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me on any issue and I will return your e-mail or call. You may prefer to visit the online WAI Access Initiative website.
Most browsers support 'jumping' to specific links by using access key (keyboard shortcuts). These enable people to navigate a web site without having to use a mouse. The key sequences to use (for this website) are shown in the right hand pane above. I have also provided a brief guide to popular browsers, below.
Browser Access Keys
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Mozilla Browsers such as Firefox, Allow you to press [SHIFT] + [ALT] + [Access key]. Thus to move to the home page from this page just hold down the shift and 'Alt' keys together with the numeric key one "1".
Safari the Macintosh default browser enables you to press the Control key [CTRL] + [Access key] to reach the page you require.
Microsoft Internet Explorer. Have enabled the [ALT] + [Access key]. Following this key combination you will need to press the [Enter] or return key to access the page you need.
Opera Software provide the simplest mechanism for page access, whereby pressing [shift] + [Esc], all access keys used on the page are displayed in a popup window. By then pressing the single key from the list presented to you, the required page can be reached.
Alternative Browsers are available if you prefer not to use the mainstream products. Please follow the link to an external website for details.
Inconsistencies:
Please note that access key support can be patchy across some browsers (Earlier Versions of Internet Explorer can be poor). If you do find that the access keys do not operate as expected please contact me and tell me your concerns. I will attempt to remedy any issue I find.
W3C Standards:
The pages within this web site comply with all priority 1, 2 and 3 (where possible) guidelines of the W3C WebContent Accessibility Guidelines. All pages (with known exceptions) also validate as XHMTL 1.0 Transitional ....I have checked
