Accessibility Glossary

Each page needs a unique, descriptive <title>. Screen reader users hear this first. Pattern: 'Page Name — Section — Site Name'. Helps all users with tabs and history.

Any drag operation must have a non-dragging alternative (buttons, form controls). New in WCAG 2.2. Affects users who can't perform precise pointer movements.

Focus indicators must be at least 2px thick around the perimeter with 3:1 contrast between focused and unfocused states. Level AAA in WCAG 2.2. The criterion that finally defines what 'visible' means quantitatively.

Programmatically move focus when context changes: into a modal on open, back to trigger on close, to the next item after deletion, to new content after dynamic loads.

When an element receives keyboard focus, it must not be entirely hidden by sticky headers, cookie banners, chat widgets, or footers. New in WCAG 2.2 (Level AA). The most common new 2.2 failure in audits.

Tab order must follow a logical reading sequence — typically left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Avoid positive tabindex values. CSS layout changes (order, flex-direction) can break focus order.

Every interactive element must have a visible focus indicator when navigated to via keyboard. Never use outline:none without a replacement. WCAG 2.2 adds 2.4.11 (Focus Appearance) requiring minimum area and contrast.

All functionality must be operable with keyboard alone — Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Escape, Arrow keys. No keyboard traps. Affects motor-disability users, switch users, power users, and screen reader users.

Link text must describe its destination — even out of context. Avoid 'click here', 'read more', 'learn more'. Empty links (no text at all) found on 47% of homepages.

Respect prefers-reduced-motion. No auto-playing content that flashes more than 3 times per second. Parallax, scroll-triggered animations, and auto-play video must be pauseable.

Anything that uses a complex gesture — pinch-to-zoom, swipe along a path, two-finger rotate — must also work with a single tap or click. Maps, sliders, and carousels are common offenders. Affects people who can't make precise movements.

Nothing on the page may flash more than three times in any one second — fast flashing can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Avoid strobing animation, flashing ads, and rapid red flashes. When in doubt, don't flash.

A mechanism to bypass repeated navigation and jump to main content. Typically the first focusable element on the page. Only ~13% of homepages have one.

Interactive targets need a minimum 24×24px area (Level AA, new in WCAG 2.2). 44×44px at Level AAA. Affects users with tremors, limited dexterity, and all mobile users.

If content has a time limit, users must be able to turn off, adjust, or extend it (at least 10× the default). Session timeouts must warn before expiry. Auto-rotating carousels need pause controls.