Links

Module 7.1.2: Links

As mentioned above, access the JAWS and Narrator Links lists by pressing Insert F7, or via the NVDA Elements list dialog. On many websites, links to the most important pages tend to be clustered higher in the list. If you are exploring a site for the first time, after going through the headings on the home page, Down arrowing through the first 15 or 20 links in the Links list may be a good way to get a sense of the most important pages on the site. Web developers often build these in as main or secondary navigation regions which appear on every page of the site. For example, on many college websites, links you often find near the top of the list include admissions, registration, academic calendar, financial aid, faculty directory, and course catalog. Webpages also usually have a footer region at the bottom of each page containing a set of links that act like a site map identifying important links. This can be another way to better understand website organization and available content. Pressing Enter on a link activates it, redirecting you to another page on a site, or somewhere else on that page if it’s a Same page link. With JAWS, you can move to the next and previous link by tabbing and Shift Tabbing, respectively. With NVDA and Narrator, you can do this by pressing K and Shift K. However, navigation is more efficient with the Links list. After opening it, press Home and End to go to the first and last link in the list, respectively. You can up or Down arrow through the list. If you know the first letter of the link, pressing that first letter until you find the desired link is the most efficient way to navigate links. To activate a link, press Enter. If instead, you wish to go to the location of that link on the current page without activating it, press Tab once and then press Enter on the Move to link button. In sum, for many websites, or at least for those without major accessibility problems, using the above combination of headings and links can give you a quick general idea of what information is available on a website.