About This Web Site: Accesskeys

Keyboard shortcuts, or accesskeys, have been provided as an aid to keyboard navigation.

The shortcut concept will be familiar to many from basic computer tasks such as Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste. Accesskeys are activated on PCs by holding down the Alt key together with the letter or number associated with the specific link. On Apple systems, the Ctrl key performs the same function as the Alt key on PC keyboards.

Shift+Alt+1 will activate the Home Page link on this web site for example. (Note: Internet Explorer users are obliged to confirm the selection by hitting Return or Enter and Opera users should press Shift+Esc instead of Alt to activate an accesskey.)

The use of accesskeys and their practical application as aids to accessibility is the subject of debate:

Accesskeys are a fast and efficient alternative to mouse clicks and many regular users of the Internet today prefer, or are forced by circumstances, to forego the use of a mouse in favour of keyboard navigation.
There is a strong argument that most keyboard shortcuts are already in use by one application or another and that the inclusion of accesskeys is potentially problematic.

The argument against accesskeys gains strength from the fact that it is difficult to set standards since the general structure of one web site will differ from another when the user gets past the home page. The dilemma is illustrated by the UK government’s specification of accesskeys for all sections of it’s web sites whereas the Canadian Common Look and Feel Access Working Group has suggested that accesskeys, with the exception of ‘Skip’ links, should not be used on the Government of Canada’s web sites.

We have nevertheless opted to include accesskeys for all of the logical and recurring groups of links on the web site since they are useful to those who know how to use them -- and they do no harm to those that don’t. The main group of navigation keys are numerical -- which precludes conflict with the letter-based shortcuts favoured by most software manufacturers.

There are four distinct sets of Accesskeys:

‘Skip’ keys to help the user navigate around the three main logical groups of links on every page;
Navigation keys to access the main sections of the web site in the menu at the head of every page -- including the Search and Advanced Search fields;
Relative links to the previous and next pages;
Auxiliary keys to access the links at the foot of every page.

‘Skip’ keys are:

A -- Skip the Main Navigation Menu and go to the main text content;
B -- Go to the page footer (Auxiliary) menu;
C -- Go to the local links for the relevant section or group of pages;
D -- Go to the top of the page.

Navigation keys follow a logical order from 1 to 8 across the Main Navigation Menu where 9 and 0 are reserved for the Search and Advanced Search options:

1 -- Home Page;
2 -- UNICEF in Turkey;
3 -- Programmes;
4 -- Say Yes;
5 -- Resources;
6 -- Press;
7 -- Hand in Hand with Children;
8 -- Turkish version;
9 -- Enter keywords in search field (hit return to initiate the search);
0 -- Advanced Search.

Relative links are:

P -- Previous page;
N -- Next page.

Auxiliary keys are:

K -- Contact Us;
U -- UNICEF Worldwide (external link);
T -- United Nations in Turkey (external link);
L -- Useful links by subject;
Y -- Legal information;
W -- About this web site;
F -- Support Us.

Note: Placing the cursor over any of the links listed here will open a tool-tip showing the appropriate accesskey.

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