Navigation and focus management are essential elements to ensure that a website is accessible to all users, especially those who rely on keyboards or assistive technologies. In this chapter, we will explore how to implement smooth navigation and effectively manage focus in your HTML projects.

Principles of Accessible Navigation

For a site to be easily navigable:

• All interactive elements must be accessible via the keyboard.
• The navigation sequence should follow a logical order.
• The visual focus should be clear and easy to identify.

Keyboard Navigation

Users should be able to interact with all interactive elements using keys like Tab, Enter, and arrow keys.

Basic example of keyboard navigation:

html

Tab Order Customization

The tabindex attribute allows customizing the tab order of interactive elements.

Example of navigation customization:

html

Visible Focus Indicators

A clear focus indicator helps users identify the active element in navigation. This can be achieved using CSS to customize the focus style.

Example of focus styling:

html

Focus Management on Dynamic Elements

In dynamic web applications, it is important to manage focus when adding or updating elements on the page.

Example of dynamic focus change:

html

Focus Traps

In certain cases, such as modal windows, it may be necessary to limit focus within a specific container to prevent users from navigating out of it.

Example of a focus trap:

javascript

Conclusion

Accessible navigation and proper focus management are key elements to improve the user experience on any website. By implementing practices such as clear focus indicators, tab order customization, and focus handling on dynamic elements, you can ensure that your content is inclusive.

In the next chapter, we will explore how to use ARIA to enhance the accessibility of dynamic web applications. Don't miss it!