Interactive items include links, form fields, buttons, and components (e.g., videos, slideshows, carousels, popups, dropdown menus, tooltips, tabs and accordions). These are often difficult for assistive technology users to navigate.
Put your mouse aside and use only your keyboard to move to all links, form fields, buttons, and components:
- Use the Tab key to move forward.
- Use Shift + Tab to move backward.
- Use the Enter/Return key or Shift to select.
- Use the arrow keys to move inside components.
You must be able to answer yes to the following for the page to pass:
- As you tab through the page, can you tab to each interactive item in order? Tabbing should not move you prematurely away from a component until all items in the component have been tabbed through or a task is complete.
- Can you select all links and buttons with the Enter/Return or Shift key?
- Can you move inside all interactive items with the arrow keys and move away with the Tab or Escape key?
- When you close a modal or popup window, are you returned to the last place you were on the page?
- Is the focus indicator (a blue or dashed outline) clearly visible on each element you tab to?

See more on keyboard access.