Resources
Sites are typically designed with mouse interaction in mind, but some individuals are unable to use a mouse, instead relying on a keyboard to navigate sites and content.
Keyboard-accessible sites allow the following features:
- Links can be accessed through the Tab key.
- Controls and user interfaces can be accessed through the Tab key.
- The keyboard does not get trapped in page elements—users should be able to move out of each section with keyboard controls.
- Keyboard focus is visibly apparent.
- Interactive features (menus, modals, carousels and other rich features) comply with WAI-ARIA 1.0 Authoring Practices.
Keyboard Operation
You can test keyboard navigation and operation through any browser without special software. The following keys and key combinations work in most browsers.
- Tab: Move between links, page elements, form elements, buttons and navigation options.
- Shift+Tab: Move to the previous link, page element, form element, button or navigation option.
- Enter: Activate or access the currently selected element.
- Space: Activate, check or uncheck the currently selected element.
- Up/Down arrow keys: Move between radio buttons or through menu options and links.
- Right/Left arrow keys: Move through slideshows, carousels, navigation, menus, audio and video.
- Escape: Close pop-up or focused page elements and dropdown menus and return to the element that opened them.