Alternative input methods

Not every user can type or click a mouse, so websites and online forms need alternative input methods. Two common ones are keyboard accessibility and voice data entry.

Keyboard accessibility

Keyboard accessibility means every task on a site or form can be completed using only a keyboard. Tab moves between fields and buttons, Enter follows a link or presses a button, and Space ticks a checkbox. Focus should follow the visual order of the page, so tabbing moves down the screen in the order you would read it, and no task should depend on a mouse-only action such as dragging an item into a box.

This matters for someone with a motor disability, a tremor or a long-term injury such as repetitive strain injury, because holding and steering a mouse can be painful or impossible. It also covers switch devices, which send the same key presses as a keyboard. These features help everyone: many users tab through a form simply because it is quicker than reaching for the mouse.

For example, a library's online reservation form lets you tab to the book title, then the pickup date, then the reserve button, so a borrower who cannot use a mouse still reserves a book in under a minute.

Voice data entry

Voice data entry lets a user dictate information into a form instead of typing it. The device or browser converts the speech to text and puts it into the field, and the user checks the result on screen. Someone who cannot type easily because of a motor disability, or who finds spelling difficult because of dyslexia, can speak their name, address and date of birth instead of hunting for keys.

For example, a college application form accepts a spoken name and date of birth, so an applicant with dyspraxia, who finds small keys hard to hit accurately, can complete it without typing every field.

Where keyboard access sits in WCAG

The keyboard requirement is a guideline under the Operable principle of WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines): all functionality must be available from a keyboard. A site that meets it does not shut out users who cannot hold or steer a mouse.