- Success Criterion 3.2.1
- Conformance level A
Tabbing Into a Field That Opens a Modal Automatically
3.2.1 — On Focus
Scenario
Setting
A subscription box service's account settings
What’s wrong
Focusing a field opens a modal/new window automatically.
Example
<select onfocus="submitForm()">Why it matters
Keyboard and screen-reader users, and people who are easily disoriented by surprise UI changes.
How to test
Tab to a field and stop (don't type or press Enter): if a modal or new window opens automatically just from receiving focus, it fails.
How to fix
Receiving keyboard focus must cause no change — no activation, selection, navigation, popup, or focus jump.
<select onchange="updatePreview()"></select><button onclick="submitForm()">Apply</button>Simply moving focus into a control must never trigger a context change like submission or navigation.
Outcome
On a subscription box service's account settings, this barrier is gone for keyboard and screen-reader users — they no longer have to work around this.
Who is affected
Keyboard and screen-reader users, and people who are easily disoriented by surprise UI changes.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Element That Loses Focus the Instant It’s Reached
- Tabbing to a Menu Item That Auto-Navigates to Its Page
- Selecting an Option That Submits the Form Automatically
- Keyboard Focus Triggering an Unexpected Scroll Jump
- Tabbing Into a Field That Opens a Chat Widget
- Autofocus Chain That Jumps Focus From One Field to Another