Mastering Keyboard Accessibility

Solve 80% of your accessibility issues with semantic HTML. This talk breaks down keyboard navigation, from modern focus management to the power of native elements.

#1about 5 minutes

Understanding the scope and importance of web accessibility

Accessibility is a temporary state for everyone and encompasses various permanent, temporary, and situational impairments.

#2about 3 minutes

Legal requirements and user needs for keyboard support

Keyboard accessibility is a legal requirement under laws like the European Accessibility Act and is essential for users with motor impairments and assistive technologies.

#3about 4 minutes

Managing focus flow with tabbing order and tabindex

The browser creates a tabbing order for interactive elements, which can be modified using the tabindex attribute or by making entire sections non-interactive with the inert attribute.

#4about 3 minutes

Avoiding keyboard traps with modern HTML elements

Prevent users from getting stuck by avoiding unintentional keyboard traps and leverage built-in accessible elements like dialog and the popover attribute for complex components.

#5about 3 minutes

Providing clear visual focus indicators using CSS

Ensure keyboard users always know their location on the page by avoiding `outline: none` and using CSS pseudo-classes like `:focus-visible` and `:focus-within` for styling.

#6about 4 minutes

Solving accessibility issues with semantic HTML

Using correct semantic elements like `<button>` and `<a>` instead of generic `<div>`s automatically provides built-in accessibility features, solving the majority of common issues.

#7about 4 minutes