Keyboard Navigation Guide

Ensuring your website is navigable by keyboard is crucial for accessibility. This guide will help you understand and implement proper keyboard navigation.

Why is Keyboard Navigation Important?
Keyboard navigation is important for several reasons:
  • Essential for users with motor disabilities who can't use a mouse
  • Beneficial for power users who prefer keyboard shortcuts
  • Required for compliance with accessibility standards (WCAG)
  • Improves overall usability and user experience
Key Principles of Keyboard Navigation
Follow these key principles when implementing keyboard navigation:
  • All interactive elements should be focusable
  • Focus order should be logical and intuitive
  • Focus should be visible at all times
  • Provide skip links for repetitive content
  • Ensure custom components are keyboard accessible
Implementing Keyboard Navigation
Follow these steps to implement keyboard navigation:
  1. Use semantic HTML elements (e.g., <button>, <a>) for interactive components
  2. Ensure a logical tab order using proper HTML structure
  3. Use tabindex="0" to make custom interactive elements focusable, and tabindex="-1" for programmatic focus
  4. Implement visible focus styles that are distinct from hover styles
  5. Provide keyboard alternatives for actions typically done with a mouse (e.g., drag and drop)
Testing Keyboard Navigation
To test your website's keyboard navigation:
  1. Start by pressing Tab to move through the page
  2. Ensure all interactive elements can be reached and activated
  3. Check that the focus order is logical
  4. Verify that focus is always visible
  5. Test keyboard shortcuts and custom components thoroughly