Providing Visually Clear Navigation: The Importance of Focus Visibility and Implementation Guide

*This article is an English translation of a Japanese article.

In web accessibility, “focus visibility” is crucial, especially for users navigating websites with a keyboard. Visual cues for focus movement allow users to understand where they are on a site. This article discusses why focus visibility is important, specific implementation techniques, and points for improvement.

Why Focus Visibility is Important

Focus visibility indicates which element on a webpage is currently active when a user navigates with a keyboard. This feature is essential for users with disabilities, the elderly, and anyone who may need visual guidance to assist with navigation.

Focus visibility is particularly meaningful for the following users:

• Users with Visual Impairments: Those using screen readers or screen magnifiers benefit from clearly displayed focus indicators, making it easier to understand their current position on the page.
• Users with Motor Limitations: For users who rely on the keyboard, visually identifying the focus location enhances navigation efficiency.
• Temporarily Disabled Users: When a temporary injury limits mouse use, users may rely on keyboard navigation, making focus visibility a valuable aid.
• Older Adults: Declining cognitive or visual ability can make it easier to use websites with clear focus movement indicators, improving site usability.

Implementing Focus Visibility

Focus visibility can be easily implemented with HTML and CSS, primarily using the outline property and focus pseudo-class in CSS.

Here’s a basic example in CSS:

button:focus,
a:focus {
  outline: 2px solid #000; /* Black outline for focus */
  outline-offset: 2px; /* Adds spacing between the outline and element */
}

In this example, focused buttons or links are outlined in black, helping users quickly identify the active element.

Important Considerations for Focus Visibility

• Color Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast between the focus border or background and surrounding elements. Low contrast, such as a light outline on a light background, can be difficult to see. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) recommends a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.
• Custom Styles: If you disable default browser focus styles, replace them with custom styles to avoid removing focus visibility altogether, ensuring focus indicators remain clear and accessible.

Common Focus Visibility Challenges

One common challenge is balancing accessibility with custom design requests. Designers or clients may request focus outlines be removed for aesthetic reasons, which can significantly impact accessibility for keyboard users. If focus outlines are removed, alternative visual feedback, such as background color change or animation, should be provided.

Example of using background color instead of an outline:

button:focus {
  outline: none;
  background-color: #f0f8ff; /* Change background on focus */
}

Tools to Test Focus Visibility

Several tools can help test focus visibility on a website, ensuring focus transitions smoothly and effectively:

• Axe: A browser extension for automated accessibility testing, including focus visibility checks.
• WAVE: Another tool for accessibility testing, WAVE identifies focus visibility issues and provides solutions.
• Keyboard Accessibility Checker: Specialized in testing keyboard navigation, this tool is ideal for evaluating focus movement.

Tips to Improve Focus Visibility

Here are some tips to enhance focus visibility on your website:

1. Balance Design and Accessibility: Use visually prominent focus styles that blend well with the design. For example, bold outlines or noticeable colors can make it easier to identify focused elements.
2. Keyboard Navigation Testing: Always test navigation with a keyboard to ensure focus moves smoothly across elements.
3. Maintain Consistency: Apply a consistent focus style across the site so users can easily recognize the current focus.

Conclusion

Focus visibility is a critical aspect of web accessibility. For many users relying on keyboard navigation, visible focus indicators significantly impact the usability of a website. Improving accessibility goes beyond aesthetics; it provides an inclusive environment for all users.

Implementing focus visibility is a foundational step toward a user-friendly web experience that benefits everyone.

We have released the UUU Web Accessibility Widget Tool, designed to make web accessibility easy to implement. This tool helps improve the accessibility of websites quickly and efficiently, even without specialized knowledge.

If you’re interested in enhancing your website’s accessibility, please check out the details. We are here to support you in making your website more user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience.