- Success Criterion 2.1.1
- Conformance level A
Focusable Element That Enter and Space Don’t Actually Activate
2.1.1 — Keyboard
Scenario
Setting
A crowdfunding platform's campaign page
What’s wrong
Element focusable but Enter/Space do nothing (no keydown/keyup activation).
Example
Picture a crowdfunding platform's campaign page: element focusable but Enter/Space do nothing (no keydown/keyup activation).
Why it matters
Blind users, people with motor disabilities, and anyone operating the interface without a pointer. On a crowdfunding platform's campaign page, this barrier means they get stuck and can't reach the control.
How to test
Tab to the control and press Enter, then Space: if the click handler only fires on mouse click and neither key does anything, it fails.
How to fix
Wire keydown/keyup so Enter and Space activate the focused element.
Outcome
Corrected, a crowdfunding platform's campaign page now lets a visitor complete the task using only the keyboard.
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)
Related scenarios
- Feature That Only Responds to Mouse Events, Not the Keyboard
- 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
- Custom Dropdown That Can’t Be Operated by Keyboard Arrows
- Drag-and-Drop Feature With No Keyboard Alternative