- Success Criterion 2.1.1
- Conformance level A
- W3C reference F54
Feature That Only Responds to Mouse Events, Not the Keyboard
2.1.1 — Keyboard
Scenario
Setting
A bank's mobile money-transfer screen
What’s wrong
A feature only responds to mouse-specific events (mousedown, hover, gestures) — keyboard users cannot trigger it at all.
Example
Watch a bank's mobile money-transfer screen closely and you'll spot this: a feature only responds to mouse-specific events (mousedown, hover, gestures) — keyboard users cannot trigger it at all.
Why it matters
Blind users, people with motor disabilities, and anyone operating the interface without a pointer. Here, on a bank's mobile money-transfer screen, the result is they get stuck and can't reach the control.
How to test
Unplug the mouse and Tab to the feature: if it only responds to mousedown/touchstart/gesture events with no keydown/keyup handler, nothing happens and it fails.
How to fix
Add keyboard handlers (click on links/buttons, or keydown for Enter/Space) alongside pointer events.
Outcome
After the fix, the same visitor to a bank's mobile money-transfer screen can now reach and operate the control without a mouse.
Who is affected
Blind users, people with motor disabilities, and anyone operating the interface without a pointer.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
- Technique Related technique (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Element That Loses Focus the Instant It’s Reached by Keyboard
- Clickable Element Acting Like a Link With No Real Keyboard Role
- Clickable Div With No Keyboard Focus or Key Handling at All
- Focusable Element That Enter and Space Don’t Actually Activate
- Custom Dropdown That Can’t Be Operated by Keyboard Arrows
- Drag-and-Drop Feature With No Keyboard Alternative