Digital accessibility is no longer optional—it’s essential. As more organizations move their operations and services online, ensuring an inclusive digital experience becomes imperative. A key part of this effort involves accessibility testing, specifically around keyboard navigation, focus states, and ARIA roles.
Keyboard accessibility testing ensures that users can navigate a website entirely without relying on a mouse. Focus states show where the user’s attention is on the screen, while ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles assist screen readers in conveying proper content meaning.
In this blog, we’ll dive deep into how to test these elements effectively—and why doing so matters for compliance, usability, and inclusivity.
Importance of Keyboard Navigation Testing
Keyboard navigation refers to the ability to move through and interact with digital content using only the keyboard — without relying on a mouse or other pointing devices. Common keys involved include:
Tab – to move between interactive elements
Shift + Tab – to navigate in reverse
Enter/Space – to activate buttons or links
Arrow Keys – to scroll or move within components
Escape – to close modals or menus
This method of navigation is especially crucial for users who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers or alternative input devices.
Why It Matters
The World Health Organization reports that over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. A significant portion of these individuals depend entirely on keyboard navigation due to:
Motor impairments (e.g., difficulty using a mouse)
Visual impairments (e.g., relying on screen readers)
Temporary physical limitations (e.g., injury or recovery)
Ignoring keyboard accessibility not only alienates these users but also leads to:
Frustrating user experiences
Non-compliance with accessibility standards like WCAG 2.1, ADA, and Section 508
Legal exposure and potential lawsuits
Loss of reputation and exclusion of a significant user base
Accessible navigation is not a feature—it’s a fundamental right and requirement in inclusive digital design.
What Should Be Tested?
When conducting keyboard navigation testing, here are the core elements to validate:
Logical Tab Order
Ensure users can move through the interface in a meaningful, predictable sequence. Focus should follow a logical flow from top to bottom and left to right.
Skip Links
Provide visible and functional “skip to content” links. This allows users to bypass repetitive navigation (like menus or banners) and jump directly to the main content.
Interactive Components
All focusable elements such as:
Buttons
Links
Modal dialogs
Form inputs
Dropdown menus
…must be fully operable via keyboard.
Ensure focus styles are clearly visible, and that dynamic components (like popups or menus) update correctly as users navigate.
Keyboard navigation is not just about compliance — it’s about creating inclusive experiences that work for everyone, regardless of ability. Testing for it should be a non-negotiable part of your accessibility checklist.
Understanding Focus States: Why They Matter
A focus state is a visual indicator that highlights which element on a web page is currently active or selected for interaction—especially during keyboard navigation. It typically appears when users use the Tab key to move through interactive elements like:
Buttons
Links
Input fields
Dropdowns
Modals
Focus indicators may take the form of a glowing border, box shadow, color change, or underline, depending on how they’re styled.
Why Focus States Are Crucial for Accessibility
For users who rely on keyboards—such as those with motor disabilities, vision impairments, or screen reader users—focus states are the only visual guide to where they are on the screen. Without clear focus states:
Users become disoriented, not knowing which element they are interacting with.
Navigation becomes confusing and frustrating.
It leads to accessibility violations, especially under WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.4.7: Focus Visible.
It increases the risk of legal non-compliance (ADA, Section 508, EN 301 549).
A missing or poorly designed focus state is often flagged during audits and is considered a critical blocker for inclusive usability.
How to Test Focus States
Testing focus states is straightforward but critical. Follow these steps to ensure proper implementation:
Use the Tab key to move through all focusable elements on the page.
At each step, check:
Is there a visible focus indicator?
Is the order logical and intuitive?
Is the focus trapped inside open components (like modals) as expected?
Don’t forget to test:
Custom UI elements (e.g., carousels, tooltips, modals)
Navigation menus
Forms and validation states
Use browser developer tools or accessibility extensions to simulate keyboard-only navigation and inspect styles.
Best Practices for Focus States
To create an accessible and user-friendly experience, apply the following best practices:
Never Remove Focus Outlines Without a Replacement
Avoid using CSS like:
*:focus {
outline: none;
}
Unless you’re replacing it with a highly visible custom focus style, removing outlines creates serious accessibility issues.
Ensure Contrast and Consistency
Focus indicators should:
Have sufficient color contrast (recommended: 3:1 against the background)
Be uniform across the site for predictability
Remain clearly visible across devices and themes (light/dark)
Maintain Focus Within Modals and Popups
When a modal opens:
Focus should automatically move to the modal’s first interactive element.
Tabbing should remain trapped within the modal until it’s closed.
After closing a modal or overlay, return the focus to the element that initially triggered it.
Focus states might seem like a minor design element, but they are vital for usability and accessibility. They empower all users—especially those with disabilities—to interact confidently and independently with digital content. Investing in clear, consistent focus styling is a simple yet powerful step toward inclusive design.
ARIA Roles: Enhancing Assistive Technology Support
ARIA stands for Accessible Rich Internet Applications. It is a WAI-ARIA specification developed by the W3C to improve the accessibility of dynamic web content and user interface components.
In simpler terms, ARIA roles, states, and properties are added to HTML elements to help assistive technologies—such as screen readers—understand and communicate the purpose and behavior of components that may not be natively accessible or semantically clear.
For instance, if you create a custom button using a <div> or <span>, a screen reader won’t recognize it as a button—unless you explicitly assign a role=”button” and define its behavior.
Why ARIA Is Essential in Modern Web Development
Modern web applications, especially Single Page Applications (SPAs), use JavaScript-heavy, dynamic content where the DOM changes frequently without full page reloads.
In these cases, native HTML semantics alone aren’t enough for screen readers to:
Understand what a component is
Know how it behaves
Communicate updates or changes in the UI
ARIA fills this semantic gap by:
Providing context (e.g., is it a dialog or a tooltip?)
Clarifying interactivity (e.g., is the element currently expanded or hidden?)
Establishing landmarks and relationships between elements for easier navigation
Neglecting ARIA roles can lead to confusing, inaccessible experiences for users with disabilities, particularly those relying on screen readers.
Types of ARIA Attributes and Their Use Cases
ARIA includes three main categories of attributes:
Roles
Define what type of UI element the component represents:
role=”button” – announces the element as a button
role=”dialog” – identifies a modal or pop-up
role=”alert” – sends immediate updates to screen readers
States and Properties
Provide additional context or behavior:
aria-expanded=”true” or “false” – indicates if a menu or accordion is open or collapsed
aria-hidden=”true” – hides an element from screen readers
aria-disabled=”true” – marks a control as non-interactive
Landmarks
Help users navigate large layouts:
role=”navigation” – denotes a group of navigational links
role=”main” – specifies the primary content of a page
role=”banner”, role=”contentinfo” – define header and footer areas
These attributes allow screen reader users to navigate more efficiently and understand the structure and function of complex UIs.
How to Test ARIA Roles Effectively
Testing ARIA roles involves a combination of manual and assistive technology-based methods:
Use Screen Readers
Popular tools: NVDA (Windows), JAWS (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS/iOS), TalkBack (Android)
Navigate through the page and listen for:
Whether elements are announced correctly (e.g., “button”, “dialog”)
Whether dynamic updates (like error messages or modals) are conveyed
If the focus order respects ARIA landmarks and regions
Validate Semantic Integrity
Ensure that ARIA roles match the element’s actual behavior.
Example: If a <div> is marked as role=”button”, it must be operable using the keyboard (Enter and Space keys).
Avoid misuse or redundancy, such as:
Applying role=”button” to a native <button> element (not needed)
Using ARIA to fix bad HTML instead of writing proper semantic code
Audit with Accessibility Tools
Use browser extensions like:
axe DevTools
Lighthouse (Chrome)
WAVE Evaluation Tool
These can detect common ARIA misuse, missing attributes, and improper labeling.
Best Practice Reminder
“Use native HTML elements wherever possible. Use ARIA only when no semantic alternative exists.” – W3C Best Practices
ARIA is powerful but must be used with care. Misapplied ARIA can reduce accessibility rather than enhance it. When used correctly, however, ARIA ensures that all users—regardless of ability—can perceive, understand, and interact with digital content effectively.
Testing Strategies and Tools: Ensuring Accessibility at Scale
Achieving true accessibility requires a combination of manual testing and automated tools. Each method plays a unique role in identifying different types of issues. While automation helps accelerate and scale testing, manual evaluation is essential for verifying real-world usability and compliance.
Manual Testing Techniques
Manual testing allows evaluators to simulate real user experiences, especially for individuals relying on keyboards or screen readers. The following strategies are fundamental:
Keyboard-Only Navigation
Attempt to navigate the entire page using only the Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Arrow keys, and Escape.
Confirm that all interactive elements (buttons, forms, links, menus, etc.) are keyboard-accessible.
Focus Indicator Verification
As you tab through elements, observe whether a visible focus outline (border, highlight, or shadow) appears.
Ensure the focus order is logical and intuitive, following the natural reading flow.
Screen Reader Evaluation
Leverage screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver to validate accessibility features:
Test if ARIA roles, states, and properties are announced correctly.
Check that dynamic content like modals, alerts, and form errors are announced automatically.
Confirm that custom components (e.g., sliders, tabs, carousels) provide the appropriate feedback.
Automated Accessibility Testing Tools
Automation helps identify structural and code-level issues such as missing alt text, poor contrast ratios, and improper ARIA use. These tools scan the code and flag potential accessibility violations based on WCAG guidelines.
Recommended Tools
axe DevTools (Browser Extension by Deque):
Detects issues like missing labels, incorrect ARIA attributes, and contrast problems directly within the browser.
WAVE Evaluation Tool (by WebAIM):
Offers visual feedback and annotations on accessibility problems like empty links, heading structure, and skipped form fields.
Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools Audit Tab):
Provides performance and accessibility scores with specific recommendations for improvement.
Deque WorldSpace:
An enterprise-grade platform for managing accessibility across large teams and applications.
NVDA + Firefox:
A widely used combination for screen reader testing on Windows, especially valuable for open-source accessibility audits.
Pro Tip: Combine Manual and Automated Testing
Automated tools can identify around 30% of accessibility issues. The rest require human judgment.
Relying solely on automation creates blind spots. For example, automated scans may not:
Detect if link text is descriptive enough
Confirm intuitive keyboard focus order
Validate if dynamic elements are announced properly
A hybrid approach—automated scans backed by manual testing—ensures a comprehensive and user-centered accessibility evaluation. This is especially important for compliance with WCAG 2.1, ADA, and Section 508 standards.
How Round The Clock Technologies Ensures Accessibility Excellence
At Round The Clock Technologies, accessibility isn’t just a checklist—it’s a core commitment.
Expertise in Action
Dedicated Accessibility Testing Team: Trained on WCAG 2.1, ADA, and Section 508
Keyboard Navigation Checks: We simulate real-world use cases using multiple browsers and OS
Focus State Evaluation: Customized visual indicators tested on multiple breakpoints
ARIA Role Validation: Verified across assistive tools like NVDA, VoiceOver, and JAWS
Custom Audit Reports: Clear insights, severity grading, and developer guidance
Partnering with us ensures digital products are not just usable but welcoming for everyone.
Conclusion
Testing for keyboard navigation, focus states, and ARIA roles is not just about compliance—it’s about inclusion. These accessibility elements affect how users interact, how comfortable they feel, and how successfully they complete tasks on your digital platform.
Every user deserves a seamless experience. With the right approach, the right tools, and the right partner, it’s not only achievable—it becomes a competitive advantage.