A: Page must not have means to bypass repeated blocks (WCAG 2.4.1)

• Meaning
• Impact
• Recommendation
• Examples

Ensure that each page provides at least one means that allows the user to jump directly to the content of the page.

This means

Repeating regions such as header, navigation, or sidebar appear before the main content. Without a jump option, keyboard users must focus each link again. There is no visible skip link or equivalent solution to jump directly to the main area.

Impact

Users lose time and orientation, abandon processes, and the page violates WCAG A. This especially affects people who navigate with keyboard or screen reader.

Recommendation

• Offer a focusable Skip Link at the beginning of the page that leads to the main content.

• Semantically mark the main area, e.g., with <main id="main">.

• Make skip link visible on focus; make target element focusable with tabindex="-1".

Example

Problematic

<header>… Navigation …</header>
<main>… Content …</main>

Better

<a class="skip-link" href="#main">Skip to content</a>
<header>… Navigation …</header>
<main id="main" tabindex="-1">… Content …</main>

Short CSS

.skip-link{position:absolute;left:-9999px;top:auto}
.skip-link:focus{left:0;top:0;padding:.5rem;background:#fff;outline:2px solid}