Using the keyboard instead of the mouse

Users with mobility impairments will often browse the internet using their keyboard instead of a mouse. You need to check your site to see how easy that is for them to navigate through your pages.

The main keys that are used at ‘Tab’, ‘Enter’ and ‘Esc’. Tab is used to move through the page elements, Enter is used to select an element and Esc is used to dismiss an element. The Space bar is also used – to activate buttons, or checkboxes in forms.

So when you are checking that a page is accessible when navigated with the keyboard what do you need to check?

Begin by clicking your mouse in the very top of your web browser – where the web address shows (https://yourwebsite…..). Start using the Tab key to move through the website.

One of the first things you should see when you start tabbing through the page is a ‘Skip to content’ link. This is very important as it enables users to just go to the page content, rather than needing to tab through all the menu links that appear on every page. This is important for users navigating your site using the keyboard and also for users who are accessing your content using screen readers.

Firstly: check that you can tell where you are on the page. Is the element you are on highlighted in some way? If it isn’t clear where you are then that is something that needs to be fixed.

Secondly: check that the page elements that are highlighted as you are tabbing are selected in a logical order. So, for example, if you are on the menu bar, make sure that every option on the menu is highlighted before the focus moves to another area of the page. If you have sub menus and sub-sub menus, make sure they are all activated in turn by using the tab and that they all display (some sites will only allow you to access the top level menu items, and this is not accessible).

Another place to check the tabbing order would be any forms that you use. Are each of the fields selected in a logical order? Also check that you can use the ‘Enter’ key to complete the form and that any buttons such as ‘Next’ or ‘Submit’ can be triggered with the ‘Enter’ button.

Check that you don’t get stuck anywhere when navigating through your site using just the keyboard. This means that you get to a place on your page that you can’t navigate away from using just the ‘Tab’ or ‘Esc’ keys. This might be a pop-up or other interactive element.

Town & Parish Council websites design sites for local councils that are fully compliant with accessbility and GDPR legislation.

If you would like to find out more, please Contact Us or Request a Quote