Image links and accessibility

How to do a skipnav?

[stever]

I was just reading an accessibility recommendation to use 1x1 transparent gif image links to provide a "Skip Navigation" button for text based browsers (to avoid having to read through the top navigation on each page).

Given that there has been advice given here in the past to avoid using this technique (1x1 hidden image with links and alt text) I wondered what recommendations others would give to solve this problem?

[vmcknight]

It's a standard workaround - not elegant, but it gets the job done. Why were the previous posters advising against it?

Of course, come the revolution, all browsers will use CSS positioning correctly, and we can code the navigation at the bottom and display it at the top for sighted users.

[Nick_W]

Actually there is a very simple, very elegant, very useful way to do this easily:

<a href="#content" id="skipnav">Skip navigation</a>

and in your css

#skipnav {
  display: none;
}

Simple eh?

Nick

[stever]

Well, I think a possible concern with both solutions is that, although they solve the issue in an accessibility sense, they do so in a way which is close to what seems to be the search engines' sensitive areas - e.g. hidden links or layers. This is what previous discussions were referring to with "hidden" image links with alt text or off-page layers.

[Nick_W]

As far as I'm aware though that kind of check is done by hand as stylesheets are not picked up by google or the rest.

I don't think anyone would have a problem such a useful and well meaning feature. In fact a 1x1 img would be more likely to be picked up automatically though.

A point worth mentioning though, certainly!

Nick

[vmcknight]

I don't see any reason to assume that search engines are penalizing sites for one instance of a 1x1 graphic, used for skipnav. All but my oldest sites use the technique, and they all rank well for their search terms and have 5 to 6 PR, which is the same as other nonprofits and state agencies.

[Nick_W]

Oh, I don't think any assumptions are being made, we're all just a little jittery ;) when it comes to the dreaded PR0!

Nick