pointer-gestures-carousel

Description

Carousels must provide navigation mechanisms that do not rely solely on complex pointer gestures. Along with swiping or dragging options, there should be alternate controls, such as buttons, to ensure accessibility.

Relying exclusively on path-based gestures can prevent users with motor impairments or those using specific assistive technologies from accessing all content in the carousel.

The pointer-gestures-carousel rule aligns with WCAG Success Criterion 2.5.1 (Pointer Gestures) and WCAG 2.5.7 (Dragging Movements). These criteria require that functions operated by complex gestures can also be operated by a single pointer without a path-based gesture.

Examples

In the following example, the carousel is only navigable via a swipe gesture, making it inaccessible to some users.

In the following corrected example, “Previous” and “Next” buttons are added to provide a single-click navigation alternative:

How to fix?

To fix violations of the pointer-gestures-carousel rule, follow these steps:

• Identify any carousel or slider that currently responds only to swiping, dragging, or other path-based gestures.

• Add visible, interactive elements like “Next” and “Previous” buttons or pagination dots.

• Ensure these new controls are operable with a single click or tap.

• Verify that these controls are keyboard-accessible and have appropriate ARIA labels.

Reference

• WCAG Success Criterion 2.5.1: Pointer Gestures
• WCAG Success Criterion 2.5.7: Dragging Movements