Operable → Keyboard Accessible → 2.1.1
Keyboard
WCAG Requirement
All functionality is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes.
Experience Builder Notes
Critical for EB apps. Map navigation, widget interactions, and toolbar buttons must all be keyboard accessible. Our scanner tests Tab navigation.
Map & GIS Considerations
Keyboard accessibility is critical for map applications. All map controls — zoom, pan, layer toggles, basemap switcher, measurement tools, and search — must be operable without a mouse. The ArcGIS JS API provides built-in keyboard navigation for the MapView, but EB widgets that add custom controls often lack keyboard support. Test by tabbing through the entire application and verifying every interactive element can be reached and operated with keyboard alone.
Sufficient Techniques
- ✓Ensure all interactive elements are focusable
- ✓Provide keyboard equivalents for mouse actions
- ✓Use standard HTML controls where possible
- ✓Map zoom must be operable via +/- buttons (not just scroll/pinch)
- ✓Layer toggle controls must be Tab-reachable and operable with Enter/Space
- ✓Map pan must support arrow key navigation when map is focused
Common Failures in EB Apps
- ✗Custom map controls not keyboard accessible
- ✗Toolbar buttons only responding to click
- ✗Drag-and-drop widgets with no keyboard alternative
- ✗Map zoom only available via scroll wheel or pinch gesture
- ✗Layer visibility toggles unreachable by keyboard
Full specification: WCAG 2.1 — 2.1.1 Keyboard
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