Provide a setting to make controls visibly persist

Important Information about Techniques

See Understanding Techniques for WCAG Success Criteria for important information about the usage of these informative techniques and how they relate to the normative WCAG 2.2 success criteria. The Applicability section explains the scope of the technique, and the presence of techniques for a specific technology does not imply that the technology can be used in all situations to create content that meets WCAG 2.2.

Applicability

Content implemented in any technology.

This technique is not referenced from any Understanding document.

Description

The objective of this technique is to ensure that controls are visible without requiring the user hover with the mouse or another pointer device or move the keyboard focus to the control. This is important when the user needs the control to progress or complete a process. Ensuring users can see the controls they need prevents users from having to search for controls and remember where they are located. This improves success for individuals with cognitive and learning disabilities and memory impairments.

To meet this technique, provide a setting that makes controls needed to progress or complete a process visible without onmouseover or onfocus events.

Some pages may appear cluttered when the same control is repeated in multiple places on the page. In these cases, it may make sense for the controls to only appear on hover by default. Provide a setting that changes the default to display the controls without pointer hover or keyboard focus. If setting information can be retained by the system, maintain this setting across sessions.

Tests

Procedure

For controls that progress or complete a process:

  1. Identify controls that only display when pointer hover or mouse focus is over them.
  2. Locate a setting that changes these controls so that they visibly persist.
  3. Test that all controls needed to progress or complete a process remain visible.

Note: Where a page has multiple page variations (i.e., in a responsive design) controls should be tested in each variation.

Expected Results

  • #3 is true.