Keyboard access

Can you reach all interactive content using the tab key?

Why it’s important:

Archie has a motor impairment. She has difficulty with the fine motor movements required for using a mouse.
Joseph has tendonitis and is unable to use a mouse. He uses the keyboard instead to navigate the web.
Maureen has low vision, she has difficulty following a mouse.

Using only your keyboard, confirm you're able to navigate through the page using the tab key.
Check all interactive elements operate using the space-bar, enter key, or the arrow keys.
Keyboard focus should always be visible and easy to perceive. Design intentional styles for these states: focus, hover, active and visited.
Coordinate the focus order with the webpage structure. The navigation order must be logical and intuitive following the visual flow of the page.
Confirm no content gets focused off screen or hidden from view.
Include a skip navigation link when navigation is present. This will allow users to bypass the navigation to reach the page’s main content.

Last modified: 3 March 2021