Picto thématique

Rule n° 161 - The website can be used and navigated in its entirety using only a keyboard.

The mouse is not the only way of browsing a website. Users who do not see the location of a visual pointer and those wishing to navigate with the keyboard should be able to do so on your website.

#Accessibility #Navigation #Development

Goal

  • Allow keyboard navigation for users with a preference for that practice.
  • Allow content to be accessed and services to be used, regardless of the input device, so as to make them accessible by users of technical aids (screen readers, for example) who only utilize the keyboard or a more specific device based on the same mechanisms as a keyboard (like a push button).
  • Improve the accessibility of content for people with disabilities.

Implementation

Use universal event handlers in case of JavaScript-based interaction (for example, onclick for an a link or for a form field or control) or, failing this, complement non-universal event handlers (onmouseover for example) by a second handler allowing keyboard access (onfocus for example) or even provide an alternative means of access.

Control

This check applies to all interactive elements: hyperlinks, buttons, form fields, JavaScript widgets, etc. The default interaction mode is the Tab key to go to links, fields, and controls, and then the Enter key to activate them. In some widgets, a specific mode of interaction may be present: space bar to validate, arrow keys to move, escape key to close or exit. As far as possible in this case, these specific keys should be indicated to the user.

Within each page checked:

  • Check that all interactions, links, buttons, form fields, present in the pages are usable from the keyboard, with the exception of those for which this would not make sense, such as a mouse plotting functionality.

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