What are the best practices for creating keyboard-friendly menus and submenus?

2 Add ARIA attributes and roles

Another way to enhance the keyboard accessibility of your menus and submenus is to add ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes and roles that provide additional information and functionality to your navigation. For example, you can use the aria-haspopup attribute to indicate that a menu item has a submenu, the aria-expanded attribute to show or hide the submenu, and the aria-label attribute to provide a descriptive name for your menu or submenu. You can also use the role attribute to specify the role of your menu elements, such as role="menu", role="menuitem", and role="presentation". ARIA attributes and roles help keyboard users and assistive technologies navigate and interact with your menus and submenus more easily and intuitively.

4 Design for clarity and simplicity

Another key practice for creating keyboard-friendly menus and submenus is to design them for clarity and simplicity, both visually and functionally. For example, you should avoid using too many menu items or submenus that can overwhelm or confuse keyboard users, and instead use clear and concise labels that describe the content or purpose of each menu item or submenu. You should also avoid using complex or dynamic menu behaviors that can disrupt or interfere with keyboard navigation, such as hover effects, animations, or auto-expanding submenus. Instead, you should use consistent and predictable menu patterns that follow the web standards and conventions for keyboard accessibility. Designing for clarity and simplicity helps keyboard users and assistive technologies understand and navigate your menus and submenus more easily and comfortably.

5 Test and debug your menus and submenus

The final practice for creating keyboard-friendly menus and submenus is to test and debug them thoroughly, both with and without assistive technologies, to ensure that they work as intended and meet the web standards and guidelines for keyboard accessibility. For example, you can use tools such as the Keyboard Accessibility Testing Tool (KATT) or the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE) to check for any keyboard accessibility issues or errors in your menus and submenus, such as missing or incorrect ARIA attributes or roles, inconsistent or confusing keyboard shortcuts or focus, or inaccessible or hidden menu items or submenus. You can also use screen readers such as NVDA or JAWS to test how your menus and submenus are announced and operated by assistive technologies, and make any necessary adjustments or improvements. Testing and debugging your menus and submenus helps you ensure that they are keyboard-friendly and accessible for all users.