"Skip to main content" works inconsistently

[connorscarolyns]

AT users are having difficulty using the skip to main content. Some users try to click the link and are taken nowhere; others confuse the landmark with the link and click it twice. Tests conducted in Edge with JAWS

Fable video clip 1
Fable video clip 2
Fable video clip 3
Fable video clip 4
Fable video clip 5

[dsamojlenko]

Having reviewed all of these videos, I am unable to recreate the issues described. Possibly because of different tooling, possibly because the issues may be intermittent in nature, unsure.

However, in the second video link, the participant indicates that having a nav landmark region around a single "Skip to main content" link is probably unnecessary. This WebAIM article supports that assessment.

It's unclear if this change will improve/fix the other issues identified #2534

[thiessenp-cds]

I don't have access to the video clips or I'd add my two cents. Off hand, what Dave did by moving the link outside a nav elements is good semantics. It may also help to place the skip link in the header element (not inside the existing nav links there) - it being header info etc. should help AT users know it is what they think it is

[connorscarolyns]

@thiessenp-cds You can't see the clips?

[thiessenp-cds]

@thiessenp-cds You can't see the clips?

Op now I have access. I just need to be more patient I guess :)

[thiessenp-cds]

I wasn't able to get the same behaviour either. It may just be a one off quirk. IMO we can note this and move on. Though if another user gets similar behaviour then maybe come back to it.

Though to be really sure, I'd need to know what version of Jaws the user is running. Each screen reader has its own quirks/bugs :) From what I can see he's running windows 10, Edge latests, with Jaws. I tested on Windows 10, Edge latest and Jaws v2023.2306.38

[thiessenp-cds]

The other issue he mentions about where the Skip link takes a user, I guess that is up for discussion. For my opinion, I agree with what the user is saying - that a skip to main content link would ideally focus the main content heading. This just makes the interaction clearer. (vs. focusing the main element region)

[connorscarolyns]

@Abi-Nada

[thiessenp-cds]

The work for this will involve updating each skip to link to point to each page header. Except for forms-forms, I think I'd like to do that in a separate PR because of how impactful that change could be.