Keyboard navigation
Navigation in a web page should be possible using only the keyboard, particularly for people who cannot use a mouse. This feature is supported directly by the browser. It is important to verify it is operating correctly, as some developments can lead to difficulties to properly navigate the page.
To test if your service is accessible using the keyboard, you can try to navigate without your mouse. All available features must be accessible.
Reminder: the focus must be visible enough on all focusable elements.
List of keyboard shortcuts: #
Interactions | Shortcuts |
---|---|
To move the focus | Tab |
To move backwards the focus | Shift + Tab |
To activate the element that has the focus (link, button, menu…) | Return key |
To check / uncheck a checkbox | Spacebar |
To select of the radio buttons into a radio group | arrow keys Up / Down ou Left / Right |
To move in a drop-down list | arrow keys Up / Down, then Spacebar |
To scroll(scrollbar) | arrow keys Up / Down for a vertical scrollbar, arrow keys Left / Right for a horizontal scrollbar |
Note: on Mac, keyboard navigation must be enabled first:
In Safari: Edit > Preferences… > Advanced
Then check the box “Press tab to highlight each item on a webpage”.