when you login successfully create a profile for that user. In that profile I give a access level. Usually the columns from a user table in my database. Next create a hash with a "link_name" => "access_level" relationship.
When building your menu...

if ($profile{permissions} == $menu{link_access})
{
print .... html to the link
}
[download]

On a side note I use this method BUT it can turn into quite a mess depending on the complexity of the access condtional so plan carefully.