No Keyboard Trap
Tier 1 · The normative floor
Baseline compliance
What the normative text of WCAG 2.2 requires, and nothing more. Only a failure of this tier is a WCAG failure.
The bare minimum
If keyboard focus can move into a component, it can move out again using only the keyboard. If leaving needs more than unmodified arrow or Tab keys or another standard exit method, the user is told how. Under WCAG's non-interference requirement this applies to everything on the page.
Normative text
Verbatim from WCAG 2.2, W3C Recommendation 12 December 2024. Underlined terms are defined below.
If keyboard focus can be moved to a component of the page using a keyboard interface, then focus can be moved away from that component using only a keyboard interface, and, if it requires more than unmodified arrow or tab keys or other standard exit methods, the user is advised of the method for moving focus away.
Not required by the normative text
Common claims that this criterion does not support. Don't log these as WCAG failures.
- Letting focus leave an open modal dialog. Containing focus in a modal isn't a trap if the keyboard can close it.
Definitions used (1)
Glossary definitions are normative. Their notes are informative.
- keyboard interface
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interface used by software to obtain keystroke input
Informative notes (2)
A keyboard interface allows users to provide keystroke input to programs even if the native technology does not contain a keyboard.
Operation of the application (or parts of the application) through a keyboard-operated mouse emulator, such as MouseKeys, does not qualify as operation through a keyboard interface because operation of the program is through its pointing device interface, not through its keyboard interface.
Notes in the criterion Informative
WCAG 2.2 lists notes among its informative material, which "does not create requirements that impact a conformance claim." They help interpret the criterion but are not part of the floor.
Since any content that does not meet this success criterion can interfere with a user's ability to use the whole page, all content on the web page (whether it is used to meet other success criteria or not) must meet this success criterion. See Conformance Requirement 5: Non-Interference.
Tier 2 · The gap
Usability & user impact
Where content can meet this criterion and still make things harder for people with disabilities. These are not failures of SC 2.1.2, so raise them as usability defects. Known failures, including failures of related criteria, are listed in Tier 1.
A non-standard exit that is documented somewhere technically passes, but users rarely find the instructions.
Tier 3 · The golden path
Recommended best practice
The pattern that meets the floor, closes the gap, and avoids audit disputes. A recommendation, not a requirement.
Make Escape close dialogs and menus, and return focus to the control that opened them.
W3C's Understanding document and techniques for SC 2.1.2 ↗ are informative: sufficient techniques show ways to pass, and documented failures show common ways to fail, but neither changes what the criterion requires.
How SC 2.1.2 maps to the WCAG 3 draft
From this site's reviewed map to the WCAG 3 editor's draft. It's an interpretation: W3C has not published a mapping.
Successor provisions
From WCAG 2.2, section 5.1: “The main content of WCAG 2.2 is normative and defines requirements that impact conformance claims. Introductory material, appendices, sections marked as "non-normative", diagrams, examples, and notes are informative (non-normative). Non-normative material provides advisory information to help interpret the guidelines but does not create requirements that impact a conformance claim.”