Keyboard shortcuts. Do you use them?
I asked this question nearly a year ago. It was a straightforward poll. I asked people whether they used a mouse or a keyboard for copying and pasting. It had nearly 10,000 impressions, the highest number I have had for any of my posts.
The answer was 4 to 1 in favour of using a keyboard rather than a mouse.
There is nothing wrong with using either method. They are both different ways of achieving the same thing. I use it all the time, to ensure accuracy. I am a bit ham-fisted, especially when it comes to using a laptop keyboard like I am at the moment, whilst I have my post-op knee up to reduce the swelling.
This is especially important when it comes to things that cannot be typed easily anyway, such as passwords, email addresses and web links.
It is great that we can use a keyboard or a mouse countless times in this way. I suspect that many of us just do it without even thinking about it.
Now think of a website. The majority of us will use a mouse to navigate one, again without even thinking about it. We just do it.
What about if you cannot use a mouse? What would you do then?
Use a keyboard of course!
That is where the problems begin. Over 97.4% out of 1 million websites tested last year failed to meet basic web accessibility standards. Being able to use a keyboard to navigate a website instead of a mouse is one of those basic tests.
When you consider that the guidelines covering this have been around since 1999, do you think that perhaps it is about time that more websites were able to achieve at least this basic level of accessibility?
Think about this next time you use a keyboard to copy and paste. If you want to know more about this, please follow this link watch me explain The Tab Test.
If you would like to find out more about website accessibility, we now have a website dedicated specifically to the subject! Please follow this link to visit it: https://accessibilityaudit.co.uk/
If you are interested in a free initial review of the accessibility of your website, why not book yourself a consultation? Please follow this link to do so: https://calendly.com/cliveloseby/accessibility-audit-free-initial-consultation
Clive Loseby
Access by Design. Accessible Websites, Beautifully Designed.
Outstanding Website Accessibility Audits
Award-winning web design, Chichester.
