(see guidelines for overcoming access barriers)
Using an accesskey allows users to have direct access to a field using their keyboard. The accesskeys are shown here as the underlined letter in the element label.
Access keys may conflict with browser and/or screenreader shortcuts. Do thorough testing across browsers. Use numbers not letters.
The W3C Accessibility Guidelines differ between version 1.0 and the draft version of 2.0.
WCAG1.0 advises to use accesskeys as a priority 3 guideline:
9.5 - Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links, form controls, and groups of form controls. For example, in HTML, specify shortcuts via the "accesskey" attribute.
WCAG2.0 draft version( 23 November 2005) makes no mention of accesskeys at all.
<form name="details">
<fieldset>
<p><legend>Personal details</legend></p>
<p><label for="firstname" accesskey="F"><u>F</u>irst name:</label>
<input type="text" id="firstname" name="fname" tabindex="1"></p>
<p><label for="lastname" accesskey="L"><u>L</u>ast name:</label>
<input type="text" id="lastname" name="lname" tabindex="2"></p>
</fieldset>
<fieldset>
<p><legend>Address</legend></p>
<p><label for="street" accesskey="S"><u>S</u>treet: </label>
<input type="text" id="street" name="street" tabindex="3"></p>
<p><label for="suburb" accesskey="U">S<u>u</u>burb:</label>
<input type="text" id="suburb" name="suburb" tabindex="4"></p>
<p><label for="city" accesskey="C"><u>C</u>ity:</label>
<input type="text" id="city" name="city" tabindex="5"></p>
<p><label for="postcode" accesskey="P"><u>P</u>ostcode:</label>
<input type="text" id="postcode"
name="postcode" tabindex="6"></p>
</fieldset>
</form>