accessibility glossary

Pointer Gestures

A WCAG 2.1 success criterion (2.5.1, Level A) requiring that any function operated by a multipoint or path-based gesture, like pinch-to-zoom or swipe, also be operable with a single-pointer action.

Pointer Gestures requires an equivalent way to trigger any function that currently depends on a multi-finger gesture (pinch to zoom) or a specific movement path (swipe to delete, drag to reorder). A single tap, click, or an on-screen button must be able to do the same job.

This protects users who physically cannot perform complex gestures, including people using a mouth stick, a single switch, or a hand with limited fine motor control. A swipe-to-dismiss notification with no visible close button is a typical failure of this criterion.

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