Tabs accessibility requirements
Adaptability
Helping people by honouring user preferences and by allowing adaptations to content presentation and time limits.
View test scenarios: Adaptability
| Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| 1.3.4 Orientation, Level AA |
Content is not restricted to a single orientation, unless it's essential |
| 1.4.4 Resize Text, Level AA |
Text can scale up to 200% without loss of content or functionality |
| 1.4.10 Reflow, Level AA |
Content reflows without horizontal scrolling when the viewport is 320px wide |
| 1.4.12 Text Spacing, Level AA |
No loss of content occurs when line, letter or word spacing is increased |
| 1.4.8 Visual Presentation, Level AAA |
Content adjusts as expected when people apply their preferences for text colour, width, alignment, spacing, and size |
| Recommendation | Content and information remain visible and understandable when using high contrast themes |
| Recommendation | The selected tab remains identifiable when using high contrast themes |
Animation and movement
Helping people to limit animation or reduce motion within content.
No component-specific requirements
Assistive technologies and semantics
Helping people who use a screen reader or other assistive tech by using appropriate code.
View test scenarios: Assistive technologies and semantics
| Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| 1.3.1 Info and Relationships, Level A |
The tab that is visually presented as the active one is identified as selected in the code |
| 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence, Level A |
The order of content in the accessibility tree matches the logical reading order |
| 2.5.3 Label in Name, Level A |
Each tab's accessible name matches or includes the visible label |
| 2.5.3 Label in Name, Level A |
Each tabpanel's accessible name matches or includes the visible label on the tab that controls it |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value, Level A |
Each tab has an accessible name |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value, Level A |
Each tabpanel has an accessible name |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value, Level A |
The tablist has a role of tablist |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value, Level A |
Each tab has a role of tab and is contained within the tablist |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value, Level A |
Each tabpanel has a role of tabpanel |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value, Level A |
Each tab is programmatically associated with the tabpanel it controls, and each tabpanel takes its accessible name from the tab that controls it |
| Recommendation | The tablist exposes its orientation, so arrow key behaviour is announced correctly |
| Recommendation | Markup can be parsed without errors |
Colour and contrast
Helping people who struggle with colour perception or low vision.
View test scenarios: Colour and contrast
| Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| 1.4.1 Use of Color, Level A |
Colour alone is not used to visually identify the active tab |
| 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum), Level AA |
All text content within the tabs component has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against the background colours |
| 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast, Level AA |
If colour is used to identify the active tab, it has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against the background and the unselected tabs |
| 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast, Level AA |
If the tabs component uses a custom focus style, this has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against the background colours |
| 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced), Level AAA |
All text content within the tabs component has a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 against the background colours |
Consistency and predictability
Helping people by keeping functionality and content consistent and predictable.
View test scenarios: Consistency and predictability
| Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| 3.2.1 On Focus, Level A |
When a tab receives keyboard focus, it does not initiate a change of context |
| Recommendation | In the narrow layout, the chevron is to the left of each toggle's label, as it is in the accordion component |
Images and media
Helping people to access (and remove distractions caused by) image, video and audio content.
View test scenarios: Images and media
| Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| 1.1.1 Non-text Content, Level A |
If a tab uses an icon in place of a visible text label, the icon has a text description; if a visible text label is also present, the icon is hidden from screen readers |
| 1.4.5 Images of Text, Level AA |
Real text is used instead of images of text (except essential/logos) |
| 1.4.9 Images of Text (No Exception), Level AAA |
No images of text at all |
Input assistance
Helping people to complete forms, enter data and pass authentication.
No component-specific requirements
Keyboard
Helping people who use a keyboard.
| Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| 2.1.1 Keyboard, Level A |
Each tab can be reached and activated using the keyboard |
| 2.1.1 Keyboard, Level A |
The active tab can be focused using the Tab key |
| 2.1.1 Keyboard, Level A |
Each tab is either activated when it receives focus (automatic activation) or by pressing the Enter or Space keys (manual activation) |
| 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap, Level A |
The tabs component does not trap focus |
| 2.4.3 Focus Order, Level A |
Focus cannot be moved into the content of a non-visible tabpanel |
| 2.4.3 Focus Order, Level A |
The tabpanel itself is not in the tab order; focus moves from the selected tab to the first focusable element in its content |
| 2.4.7 Focus Visible, Level AA |
Each tab has a visible focus indicator when it receives keyboard focus |
| 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), Level AA |
Each tab is not fully hidden by other content when it receives keyboard focus |
| 2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception), Level AAA |
The tabs component is accessible by keyboard, with no exceptions |
| 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced), Level AAA |
Each tab is fully visible when it receives keyboard focus |
| 2.4.13 Focus Appearance, Level AAA |
If the tabs component uses a custom focus style, this has a solid 2 pixel thick perimeter, or equivalent, and a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against the background colour |
| Recommendation | The right and left arrow keys are used to navigate between tabs (automatic activation) |
| Recommendation | The Home and End keys move to the first and last tab |
| Recommendation | A custom focus style is used instead of the browser's default, which can be hard to see against some backgrounds |
Pointer and touch
Helping people use single pointer or touch interactions.
View test scenarios: Pointer and touch
| Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation, Level A |
Each tab is activated on the up event, not on the down event when using a mouse |
| 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), Level AA |
Each tab has a target area size, or a target area size together with spacing, of at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels |
| 2.5.5 Target Size (Enhanced), Level AAA |
Each tab has a target area size of at least 44 by 44 CSS pixels |
Text comprehension (optional)
Helping people to read and understand text content.
No component-specific requirements