Under the Information and Communications Standards of the AODA, organizations must make their websites and web-based apps accessible. Organizations must do so by making their websites compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA. This international standard gives web developers guidelines on how to make their webpages accessible to computer users with disabilities. However, updates to the Information and Communications Standards could require organizations to comply with more recent versions of WCAG. An improved version of these guidelines, version 2.2, was released in October 2023. This article will outline WCAG 2.2’s web accessibility guidelines for keeping content visible during keyboard focus.
Web Accessibility Guidelines for Keeping Content Visible during Keyboard Focus
Many people navigate websites and documents with a keyboard instead of a mouse. For example, people can use the tab key to move between interactive web elements, such as:
- Links
- Buttons
- Dropdown menus
- Form fields, such as:
- Edit fields
- Radio buttons
- Check boxes
However, some of these elements that users can tab to may be invisible if content creators cover them with other elements. Therefore, content creators should design webpages so that all elements users can navigate to with keyboard focus remain visible.
On the other hand, some webpages allow users to move elements around. Content creators cannot control the visibility of all elements after a user has changed their position. As a result, the guideline for keeping content visible during keyboard focus only applies to content that users have not moved around. In other words, the first time a user opens a webpage, all elements that the user can navigate to with their keyboard must be visible.
Advanced Requirements
The WCAG webpage provides the full list of requirements, as well as technical guidance on how to implement them. The AODA only requires websites to follow guidelines in version 2.0, level AA. However, the WCAG webpage provides guidelines at level AAA. While websites do not need to follow these guidelines, they can choose to follow them as a best practice. Websites that follow more guidelines have the chance to welcome more visitors and do more online business.