Skip links and keyboard navigation

Keyboard navigation

The Queensland Government website has been developed to be fully accessible via keyboard and using alternate input devices.

On this page:

  1. Access keys
  2. Skip links
  3. Tab order
  4. ARIA keyboard navigation

Access keys

What are access keys?

Access keys are keyboard shortcuts and deliver quick access to important links on this site without using your mouse.

Access keys may benefit people with motor skill difficulties who use assistive technologies.

The access keys used on qld.gov.au are:

  • 1: not in use
  • 2: Queensland Government website home
  • 3: not in use
  • 4: contact us
  • 5: search
  • 6: not in use
  • 7: not in use
  • 8: not in use
  • 9: not in use
  • 0: access key help.

How to use access keys

If you are using a Windows computer: press Alt and the access key number to highlight the link. Press Enter to go to the linked page.

If you are using Macintosh computer: press Control and the access key number to highlight the link, then press Return to go to the linked page.

Tab order

The Queensland Government website (qld.gov.au) has a logical tab order for navigating without a mouse. Use the tab key on your keyboard to move to the next link or field. Use shift plus tab to move backwards, and the enter key to follow links and submit forms. Most browsers support these functions.

ARIA keyboard navigation

All rich interactive elements on the Queensland Government website can be navigated using key combinations recommended by the Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) standard.

When using a browser that supports ARIA, you can:

  • use the Tab key to enter an interactive element as part of the tab order for the page
  • use the arrow keys to move focus between the different controls for the interactive element; and
  • use the Enter key to activate a focussed control
  • use the Tab key to move to the next set of controls or to leave the interactive element.

The following browsers are known to support ARIA:

  • Internet Explorer 8 and later
  • Firefox 2 and later
  • Opera 9 and later
  • Google Chrome.

When using a browser that does not support ARIA all controls are still accessible as part of the normal tab order.

Last reviewed
28 March 2011
Last updated
23 May 2011