WCAG 2.1.1: Keyboard

Back to all WCAG criteria

OVERVIEW

Effort:

  • Complexity:Difficult
  • Duration:Slow

Important for:

Development

What's it about?

A website must be fully operable using the keyboard. All content must be accessible, and all essential functions must be executable with the keyboard alone.

Ilustration of a keyboard

How to

Depending on your situation, you can implement one of the following options to meet the criterion. For a deeper dive, please refer to the linked WCAG techniques.

  • Make all functions accessible via keyboard

    Users must be able to navigate through all interactive elements using the TAB key. Actions must be executable with ENTER or the SPACEBAR.

    For functions that rely on actions like drag-and-drop or swiping with a finger, an equivalent alternative is required (e.g., buttons or keyboard shortcuts).

    Avoid content or functions that appear only on mouse hover and cannot be accessed without a mouse. If mouseover effects contain important information (e.g., tooltips), make sure they also appear when the element receives keyboard focus.

    Illustration of a slider ranging from 0 to 10 that requires a dragging motion. Below it is an explanation stating that the slider can also be operated using the arrow keys.

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