[Accessibility]: Global bypass blocks

[umpox]

Audit type

General/Other

User journey audit issue

Global navigation

Problem description

We current do not have bypass blocks to quickly allow users to skip to different parts of the page. Without bypass blocks, it can mean a keyboard user might have to tab through numerous links to access obvious content, or a screen reader user might have to listen to hundreds of unnecessary words.

Expected behavior

At minimum:

• Global bypass blocks that is the first/second tabbed element on the page.
• Selecting a block navigates to relevant content
• "Skip to main content" which moves focus to <main> as a default

Improvements:

• Simple API allowing different pages to append new bypass blocks that are relevant to the current page
• Additional "accessibility help" page (e.g. sourcegraph.com/accessibility) that is accessible in the bypass block. This could be useful to help inform users of what is possible (e.g. how to disable keyboard shortcuts)

Additional details

No response

Assigning labels

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• [x] If this issue will require input from designers in order to complete, please assign the label needs-design.

[github-actions[bot]]

Hey, @sourcegraph/batchers (@eseliger @LawnGnome @courier-new @adeola-ak @BolajiOlajide @malomarrec @chrispine @danielmarquespt) - we have been mentioned. Let's take a look.

[felixfbecker]

Instead of explicit bypass links, it's sufficient to mark up regions so that they can be skipped by assistive technologies:

Sufficient Techniques

Grouping blocks of repeated material in a way that can be skipped, using one of the following techniques:

• ARIA11: Using ARIA landmarks to identify regions of a page

https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/bypass-blocks.html

We have regions marked up, so we meet the criterion. I think a further improvement that would benefit all users would be keyboard shortcuts for different regions (e.g. main, file browser, sidebar, ref panel, ...)