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Understanding Guideline 2.1: Keyboard Accessible | WAI | W3C
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aria-hidden="true" class="icon-arrow-left-thin pager-icon" viewBox="0 0 16 16"> <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M12 8a.5.5 0 0 1-.5.5H5.707l2.147 2.146a.5.5 0 0 1-.708.708l-3-3a.5.5 0 0 1 0-.708l3-3a.5.5 0 1 1 .708.708L5.707 7.5H11.5a.5.5 0 0 1 .5.5z"></path></svg>Previous Guideline: Distinguishable</a></li> <li class="nav__item"><a href="enough-time">Next Guideline: Enough Time<svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-arrow-right-thin pager-icon" viewBox="0 0 16 16"> <path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 8a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h5.793L8.146 5.354a.5.5 0 1 1 .708-.708l3 3a.5.5 0 0 1 0 .708l-3 3a.5.5 0 0 1-.708-.708L10.293 8.5H4.5A.5.5 0 0 1 4 8z"></path></svg></a></li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="default-grid with-gap leftcol"> <aside class="box nav-hack sidebar standalone-resource__sidebar "> <nav> <header class="box-h ">Page Contents</header> <div class="box-i"> <ul> <li><a href="#intent">Intent</a></li> <li><a href="#success-criteria">Success Criteria</a></li> <li><a href="#key-terms">Key Terms</a></li> </ul> </div> </nav> </aside> <main id="main" class="standalone-resource__main"> <h1><span class="standalone-resource__type-of-guidance">Understanding SC 2.1:</span>Keyboard Accessible</h1> <aside class="box"> <header class="box-h box-h-icon"> Success Criterion (SC)</header> <div class="box-i"> <p>Make all functionality available from a keyboard.</p> </div> </aside> <div class="excol-all"></div> <section id="intent"> <h2>Intent</h2> <p>If all <a href="#dfn-functionality">functionality</a> can be achieved using the keyboard, it can be accomplished by keyboard users, by speech input (which creates keyboard input), by mouse (using on-screen keyboards), and by a wide variety of assistive technologies that create simulated keystrokes as their output. No other input form has this flexibility or is universally supported and operable by people with different disabilities, as long as the keyboard input is not time-dependent. </p> <p>Note that providing universal keyboard input does not mean that other types of input should not be supported. Optimized speech input, optimized mouse/pointer input, etc., are also good. The key is to provide keyboard input and control as well. </p> <p>Some devices do not have native keyboards鈥攆or example, a PDA or cell phone. If these devices have a Web browsing capability, however, they will have some means of generating text or "keystrokes". This guideline uses the term " <a href="#dfn-keyboard-interface">keyboard interface</a>" to acknowledge that Web content should be controlled from keystrokes that may come from a keyboard, keyboard emulator, or other hardware or software that generates keyboard or text input. </p> </section> <section id="success-criteria"> <h2>Success Criteria for this Guideline</h2> <ul> <li><a href="keyboard">2.1.1 Keyboard</a></li> <li><a href="no-keyboard-trap">2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap</a></li> <li><a href="keyboard-no-exception">2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception)</a></li> <li><a href="character-key-shortcuts">2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts</a></li> </ul> </section> <section id="key-terms"> <details> <summary> <h2>Key Terms</h2> </summary> <dt id="dfn-functionality">functionality</dt> <dd> <definition xmlns=""> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <a href="#dfn-process">processes</a> and outcomes achievable through user action </p> </definition> </dd> <dt id="dfn-keyboard-interface">keyboard interface</dt> <dd> <definition xmlns=""> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">interface used by software to obtain keystroke input</p> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="note"> <div role="heading" class="note-title marker" aria-level="2">Note</div> <div> <p>A keyboard interface allows users to provide keystroke input to programs even if the native technology does not contain a keyboard.</p> <aside class="example"> <p>A touchscreen PDA has a keyboard interface built into its operating system as well as a connector for external keyboards. Applications on the PDA can use the interface to obtain keyboard input either from an external keyboard or from other applications that provide simulated keyboard output, such as handwriting interpreters or speech-to-text applications with "keyboard emulation" functionality.</p> </aside> </div> </div> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="note"> <div role="heading" class="note-title marker" aria-level="2">Note</div> <p>Operation of the application (or parts of the application) through a keyboard-operated mouse emulator, such as MouseKeys, does not qualify as operation through a keyboard interface because operation of the program is through its pointing device interface, not through its keyboard interface. </p> </div> </definition> </dd> <dt id="dfn-process">process</dt> <dd> <definition xmlns=""> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">series of user actions where each action is required in order to complete an activity</p> <aside xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="example"> <p>Successful use of a series of Web pages on a shopping site requires users to view alternative products, prices and offers, select products, submit an order, provide shipping information and provide payment information. </p> </aside> <aside xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="example"> <p>An account registration page requires successful completion of a <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/turingtest/">Turing test</a> before the registration form can be accessed. </p> </aside> </definition> </dd> </details> </section><a class="button button-backtotop" href="#top"><span><svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-arrow-up " viewBox="0 0 26 28"> <path d="M25.172 15.172c0 0.531-0.219 1.031-0.578 1.406l-1.172 1.172c-0.375 0.375-0.891 0.594-1.422 0.594s-1.047-0.219-1.406-0.594l-4.594-4.578v11c0 1.125-0.938 1.828-2 1.828h-2c-1.062 0-2-0.703-2-1.828v-11l-4.594 4.578c-0.359 0.375-0.875 0.594-1.406 0.594s-1.047-0.219-1.406-0.594l-1.172-1.172c-0.375-0.375-0.594-0.875-0.594-1.406s0.219-1.047 0.594-1.422l10.172-10.172c0.359-0.375 0.875-0.578 1.406-0.578s1.047 0.203 1.422 0.578l10.172 10.172c0.359 0.375 0.578 0.891 0.578 1.422z"></path></svg> Back to Top </span></a></main> <aside class="box box-icon box-space-above" id="helpimprove" style="grid-column: 2 / 8; grid-row: 3"> <header class="box-h box-h-icon box-h-space-above box-h-icon"><svg focusable="false" aria-hidden="true" class="icon-comments" viewBox="0 0 28 28"> <path d="M22 12c0 4.422-4.922 8-11 8-0.953 0-1.875-0.094-2.75-0.25-1.297 0.922-2.766 1.594-4.344 2-0.422 0.109-0.875 0.187-1.344 0.25h-0.047c-0.234 0-0.453-0.187-0.5-0.453v0c-0.063-0.297 0.141-0.484 0.313-0.688 0.609-0.688 1.297-1.297 1.828-2.594-2.531-1.469-4.156-3.734-4.156-6.266 0-4.422 4.922-8 11-8s11 3.578 11 8zM28 16c0 2.547-1.625 4.797-4.156 6.266 0.531 1.297 1.219 1.906 1.828 2.594 0.172 0.203 0.375 0.391 0.313 0.688v0c-0.063 0.281-0.297 0.484-0.547 0.453-0.469-0.063-0.922-0.141-1.344-0.25-1.578-0.406-3.047-1.078-4.344-2-0.875 0.156-1.797 0.25-2.75 0.25-2.828 0-5.422-0.781-7.375-2.063 0.453 0.031 0.922 0.063 1.375 0.063 3.359 0 6.531-0.969 8.953-2.719 2.609-1.906 4.047-4.484 4.047-7.281 0-0.812-0.125-1.609-0.359-2.375 2.641 1.453 4.359 3.766 4.359 6.375z"></path></svg><h2> Help improve this page </h2> </header> <div class="box-i"> <p>Please share your ideas, suggestions, or comments via e-mail to the publicly-archived list <a href="mailto:group-ag-chairs@w3.org@w3.org?subject=Techniques">group-ag-chairs@w3.org</a> or via GitHub</p> <div class="button-group"><a href="mailto:group-ag-chairs@w3.org@w3.org?subject=WCAG%20documents&body=[put%20comment%20here...]" class="button"><span>E-mail</span></a><a href="https://github.com/w3c/wcag/issues/" class="button"><span>Fork & Edit on GitHub</span></a><a href="https://github.com/w3c/wcag/issues/new" class="button"><span>New GitHub Issue</span></a></div> </div> </aside> </div> <footer id="wai-site-footer" class="page-footer default-grid" aria-label="Page"> <div class="inner" style="grid-column: 2 / 8"> <p><strong>Date:</strong> Updated 20 June 2023.</p> <p><strong>Developed by</strong> <a href="https://www.w3.org/groups/wg/ag/participants">Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AG WG) Participants</a> (Co-Chairs: Alastair Campbell, Charles Adams, Rachael Bradley Montgomery. 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