Assigning access keys to links
Some users, such as blind people and people who browse the Web on a mobile phone, may find it difficult or impossible to navigate hyperlinks using a mouse. For such users, most browsers support navigating links using the Tab and Enter keys, but when a document has many links, this can be inconvenient.
By assigning access keys to hyperlinks, you can make it easier for users to navigate them without a pointing device. An access key is a single character—usually a number—that, when pressed in combination with the Alt key (or another, device-specific key that serves the same purpose), causes the browser to either activateTo put “focus” on a link, so that pressing the Enter key opens it. or follow the associated link. For example, if a link has been assigned “2″ as its access key, pressing Alt+2 will cause the browser to activate or follow that link. (Try it now: this link has been assigned “3″ as its access key. Press Alt+3 and then Enter to open it.)
The digits 0 – 9 make good access keys, but you should avoid letters, since ordinary Windows browsers use several Alt+letter combinations as menu shortcuts. For mobile phone users, you can also use “#” and “*” as access keys, since these characters are always present on standard keypads.
When you assign an access key to a link, it’s a good idea to add a note after the link to let users know about it. For example:
Do not assign the same access key to more than one link.
To assign an access key to a link
- Double-click the link to open the Hyperlink Properties dialog box.
- In the Access key box, type the desired character, or click the triangle and select one from the drop-down menu.