Success Criterion 2.5.1
Conformance level A
W3C reference F105

Feature Requiring a Swipe Gesture With No Tap Alternative

2.5.1 — Pointer Gestures

Scenario

Setting

An online clothing store's product listing page

What’s wrong

A feature requires drawing a path/swipe gesture and offers no simple tap/click alternative.

Example

<div ontouchstart="handleSwipe()"></div> <!-- swipe-only delete -->

Why it matters

People with limited hand mobility and users of head-pointers, sticks, or eye-gaze systems.

How to test

Try to complete the path-based/multi-point gesture using a single tap or click instead: if no equivalent exists anywhere in the UI, it fails.

How to fix

Offer a single-pointer alternative (buttons, taps) for every path-based gesture.

<div ontouchstart="handleSwipe()"></div>

<button aria-label="Delete item">🗑</button>

Any path-based or multi-touch gesture needs a single-tap alternative that does the same thing.

Outcome

On an online clothing store's product listing page, this barrier is gone for people with limited hand mobility and users of head-pointers — they get the same result as anyone else here.

Who is affected