Skip To Content Links

[curtiss]

I have a question regarding web accessibility.

I know that it's a good idea to include "Skip to main content" links in all of your pages, in order to help people skip over all of the extraneous information and go straight to the content of the page. However, I was wondering if it's okay to "hide" those links using CSS.

I get the impression that the links are there mainly for people that are going to be viewing the page without CSS, so, if there is no CSS applied to the page, then the links will show up. However, if there is CSS applied to the page, then the links will be hidden.

Is this an okay stance to take on these links, or do they have to be visible no matter what?

In other words, you would do something like:

In your CSS definitions:

.skiplink {
display: none;
}

Then, at the very top of your page:

<a href="#content" class="skiplink">Skip to main content</a>

[Allen]

I don't think skip to content is used for what you mention. I think it is used for two reasons: accessibility and mobile.

I don't think it's for people who have CSS off - and why would someone have css off?

[curtiss]

The way I understand it, though, when someone views a page "accessibly" or on a mobile device, the CSS is usually disabled. I know when I view the site "small screen" in Opera, it disables the CSS.

Maybe I'm wrong about that. That's why I'm asking here.

[Allen]

I think it depends on the mobile device.

I have seen some that can actually do css!

[curtiss]

Back in they go, then, I guess. It just seems kind of silly to me, when you design the site so that your main content is always the first thing on the screen anyway. Oh well, I'll just have to bite the bullet and start building that into all of my layouts.