Keyboard (No Exception)

What it asks

The AA-level 2.1.1 allows an exception for input that depends on the path of the user’s movement — drawing a signature, sketching freehand, tracing a route on a map. This AAA criterion removes that exception. Every function, including those that are intrinsically gestural, must have a keyboard-operable alternative.

In practice, this means signature pads need a typed-name alternative, freehand drawing apps need a shape-and-fill alternative, and gesture-based games need a button-press equivalent.

How to meet it

• For signature capture, offer “Type your name” as a legally equivalent option — most e-signature platforms (DocuSign, Adobe Sign) already do this.
• For drawing apps, allow keyboard-driven shape insertion, colour selection, and positioning even if freehand sketching is also available.
• For map route planning, allow text-based origin/destination entry and step-by-step keyboard navigation of waypoints instead of click-to-draw.
• For canvas-based games, expose all game actions through keyboard shortcuts.

Common failures

• Signature fields that only accept stylus/mouse input with no typed alternative.
• Whiteboard / drawing tools (Miro, FigJam, Mural in some modes) where the core canvas interaction is mouse-only.
• Map editors where route drawing requires click-and-drag with no keyboard equivalent.
• Verification flows that require drawing a specific shape “to prove you’re human” with no accessible fallback.

Why it matters

This is a AAA criterion, so most public-sector and EAA-targeted sites do not aim for full conformance. But the spirit of 2.1.3 matters: where a path-based gesture is genuinely required (legal signature, biometric verification), there should still be a documented accessible alternative for users who cannot perform the gesture. The criterion exists because path-dependent input excludes anyone using a switch device, head-tracker, or sip-and-puff controller.