Web checklist

When any component receives focus, it does not initiate a change of context.

Someone navigating a web page with a screen reader will not be able to understand the site if there is a change of context when an object gets focus. The user should be able to predict the circumstances that will trigger a change of context. Just the act of receiving focus must not cause a change of context. The WCAG 2.0 Working group provides the following examples of context changes which are not accessible:

• forms submitted automatically when a component receives focus,
• new windows launched when a component receives focus,
• focus is changed to another component when that component receives focus.

Note that a change of content is not always a change of context. This checkpoint is automatically met if changes in content are not also changes of context.

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Compliance with this checkpoint requires all of the following techniques be met.

This technique is defined in the Level A Success Criterion for item 3.2.1 from the WCAG 2.0 checklist (link resides outside of ibm.com).

1. Triggers for changes of context: Use "activate" rather than "focus" as a trigger for changes of context.

Examples for general developers

1. Triggers for changes of context: Use "activate" rather than "focus" as a trigger for changes of context.

To comply with this technique all of the following examples must be implemented.

Example 1

A new page is never loaded unless the user takes an overt action to reload the page. Simply tabbing to an area of a page must not cause the page to reload, or cause a new page to load, unless the user activates a control with a button.

Refer to WCAG 2.0 examples of Using "activate" rather than "focus" as a trigger for changes of context (link resides outside of ibm.com).

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Implementation of recommended techniques is not required to comply with this checkpoint, but these techniques should be reviewed since they can improve the accessibility and usability of the solution.

Please refer to the Additional Techniques (Advisory) for 3.2.2 from WCAG 2.0 (link resides outside of ibm.com). Use of these techniques goes beyond compliance to making the website usable as well as accessible.

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The following manual test techniques are required to test this checkpoint.

1. Required accessibility verification test techniques

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