Keyboard accessibility

Applies to

• Websites

Overview

Some computer users are physically unable to use a mouse. Others prefer using a keyboard because it’s more efficient than using a mouse. Despite the availability of point-and-click and touch interfaces, all computer operating systems, and most software applications, have extensive keyboard support.

Keyboard accessibility problems arise on websites when designers or developers use techniques that break standard keyboard functionality. The Techniques page linked below provides details on how to avoid or fix these problems, and how to test websites for keyboard accessibility.

Techniques

• Keyboard Accessibility on websites

WCAG 2.1 success criteria

The issues described on this page, and associated Techniques pages, map to the following success criteria in the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1:

• 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A)
• 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A)
• 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (Level A)
• 2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA)