Scrollable region must have keyboard access
How to Fix the Problem
Correct markup solutions
The key to getting a scrollable region to be accessible with the keyboard is to ensure that a keyboard-only user can focus the scrollable region itself or a static text item within the scrollable region. The first example below shows the first technique and the second one shows the second technique.
<div id="pass1" style="height: 200px; overflow-y: auto" tabindex="0">
<div style="height: 2000px">
<p>Content</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="pass2" style="height: 20px; overflow: auto;">
<input type="text" tabindex="-1" />
<select tabindex="-1"></select>
<textarea tabindex="-1"></textarea>
<p style="height: 200px;" tabindex="0"></p>
</div>
Conditional solution
The following examples could fail if the browser intercepts the keyboard events for autocomplete. It is better to always put a tabindex of 0 on the scrollable region or a static element within the region.
<div id="conditional1" style="overflow-y: scroll; height: 5px;">
<input type="text" />
</div>
Incorrect markup
The following two examples fail because there is no focusable element within the scrollable region.
<div id="fail1" style="height: 5px; overflow: auto;">
<input type="text" tabindex="-1" /></div>
<div id="fail2" style="height: 5px; overflow: auto;">
<input type="text" tabindex="-1" />
<select tabindex="-1"></select>
<textarea tabindex="-1"></textarea></div>
Why it Matters
Checks scrollable content for focusable elements enabling keyboard navigation. Keyboard navigation should not fail when focus moves to an element within a scrollable region.
Rule Description
The Algorithm (in simple terms)
Ensure that scrollable region has keyboard access.