Why the keyboard matters

Many people navigate without a mouse, including people who are blind, people with limited hand movement, and people using switch devices or voice control that relies on keyboard behavior. If something cannot be reached and operated with a keyboard, it is likely a barrier for a range of assistive technologies.

Run the check

  1. Open your homepage and put the mouse aside.
  2. Press Tab to move forward and Shift+Tab to move back through the page.
  3. Use Enter to follow links and activate buttons, and Space to toggle checkboxes and buttons.
  4. Use the arrow keys inside menus, radio groups, and sliders.
  5. Press Escape to close any menu or dialog you open.
  6. Repeat on one important journey, such as a contact form or checkout.

What to look for

  • Visible focus: you can always see which element is selected.
  • Logical order: focus follows the visual reading order, without jumping around unexpectedly.
  • Everything reachable: every link, button, field, and control can be reached and used.
  • No traps: you can always move away from a component, including embedded videos and maps.
  • A skip link: the first Tab press offers a way to skip repeated navigation and jump to the main content.
  • Dialogs behave: focus moves into a dialog when it opens, and returns to where you were when it closes.

What this test cannot tell you

A keyboard check is a quick, valuable first look, but it does not cover screen reader announcements, color contrast, captions, document accessibility, or many WCAG criteria. Treat it as a way to spot obvious barriers and start a conversation, not as an assessment of conformance.

Next steps

Note each problem with the page, the element, and what happened. Shared problems, such as a missing focus style, are often fixed once in the site’s stylesheet or component library. For a complete picture, plan a structured audit that includes manual testing with assistive technology.

Further reading: W3C Easy Checks, a first review of web accessibility.

Want a clear picture of the barriers on your site? See how our ADA compliance audits work.

Plan your accessibility audit