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This is an early unpublished editor's draft; content is incomplete and subject to change.

Focus order meaningful

foundational

Normative Text

The keyboard focus moves sequentially through content in an order and way that preserves meaning and operability.

  • The Common Keyboard Navigation Techniques are considered logical by default
  • Having the navigation follow a consistent pattern on the page would be an indication of logic (if it is not consistently random).
  • A strictly start-to-end order is not required.
  • Linear means in a single direction (forward/backward) - and is not required as long the non-linear (x-y) technique is in the Common Keyboard Navigation Techniques or is described on the page or where the user will encounter it prior.
Tests

This section is non-normative.

Procedure

For each page/view:

  1. Determine the logical order of the interactive elements.
  2. Starting with the first focusable element in the page/view, tab through the interactive elements in the content.
  3. Check that the focus order of the interactive elements in the content is the same as the logical order in #1.

Expected results

  • #3 is true.

Tests

This content needs to be written.

Key Terms

common keyboard navigation technique

keyboard navigation technique that is the same across most or all applications and platforms and can therefore be relied upon by users who need to navigate by keyboard alone

A sufficient listing of common keyboard navigation techniques for use by authors can be found in the Standard Keyboard Navigation & Operation Keys and Techniques

content

information, sensory experience and interactions conveyed

keyboard focus

point in the content where any keyboard actions would take effect