Support Mobility

WCAG 2.0

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 provide development techniques and tests for supporting users who use only a keyboard. (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/)
• WAI-ARIA Design Patterns define standard keyboard interaction for common widgets (http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices/#aria_ex)

TIPS

• Provide keyboard equivalents to all mouse functions or gestures.
• Support Tab and Arrow key navigation. Tab to control and use arrow keys to navigate within control.
• Use standard keyboard interaction as defined in WAI-ARIA design patterns.
• Ensure there are no keyboard traps.
• Provide highly visible focus indicators so users know where they are.
• Provide appropriate page structure: headings, landmarks, skipto links

Testing

• Unplug your mouse. Can you access and interact with your application?
• Include skipto.js into your application and test page structure and landmark implementation, See https://github.com/moekraft/accessNav

Resources

• IBM Accessibility (www.ibm.com/able)
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/)
  • Guideline 2.1 Keyboard Accessible (http://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/keyboard-operation.html)
• WAI-ARIA Authoring practices, Providing Keyboard Focus (http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices/#kbd_focus)
• Examples:
  • Lotus Greenhouse Connections (https://greenhouse.lotus.com/wpsgh/wcm/connect/ghcontent/lotus+greenhouse+next+site/home/products/ibm+connections+)
  • WAI-ARIA Design Patterns provide examples for each widget (http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices/#aria_ex)