- Success Criterion 1.3.4
- Conformance level AA
Screen Orientation Locked in Code With No Essential Justification
1.3.4 — Orientation
Scenario
Setting
A community forum's discussion thread
What’s wrong
screen.orientation.lock() in web app without essential justification.
Example
Here's what happens on a community forum's discussion thread: screen.orientation.lock() in web app without essential justification.
Why it matters
People whose devices are mounted or who cannot rotate a display freely. In this case (a community forum's discussion thread), they can't perceive part of the content because of how it's displayed.
How to test
Check the JS console/source for screen.orientation.lock() calls: if present without a genuine essential-use justification (e.g., a game requiring landscape), it fails.
How to fix
The page/app must remain fully usable in both portrait and landscape, with the layout intact after rotation.
Outcome
Once corrected, a community forum's discussion thread lets them tell the information apart without relying on color.
Who is affected
People whose devices are mounted or who cannot rotate a display freely.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- App Locked Into One Screen Orientation With No Real Reason
- Page That Just Asks Users to Rotate Their Device to Continue
- App Manifest Locking Orientation for Ordinary, General Content
- CSS That Hides or Breaks Content in One Orientation Only
- Critical Controls Cropped or Unusable in One Orientation
- Video Player Forcing Landscape Fullscreen for Ordinary Content