- Success Criterion 2.4.3
- Conformance level A
Disabled Controls Still Included in the Keyboard Tab Order
2.4.3 — Focus Order
Scenario
Setting
A government tax-filing portal
What’s wrong
Disabled controls included in the tab order, adding dead stops.
Example
This shows up on a government tax-filing portal: disabled controls included in the tab order, adding dead stops.
Why it matters
Keyboard and screen-reader users who follow focus rather than the pointer. In this case (a government tax-filing portal), they can't operate the feature without a mouse.
How to test
Tab through the page: if disabled controls still receive focus (creating dead stops with no action), it fails.
How to fix
Remove disabled controls from the tab order (disabled attribute or tabindex="-1" (code removing it from the Tab order)).
Outcome
Once corrected, a government tax-filing portal lets them keep track of where they are on the page.
Who is affected
Keyboard and screen-reader users who follow focus rather than the pointer.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Tab Order That Jumps Around the Page Illogically
- Dialog That Opens Far From the Button That Triggered It
- Visual Layout Order That Doesn’t Match the Keyboard Tab Order
- Modal That Opens Without Moving Keyboard Focus Into It
- Modal That Closes Without Returning Focus to Its Trigger
- Expanded Content That Never Receives Keyboard Focus