Rule: Pointer Gestures

• Some people cannot perform gestures in a precise manner, or they may use a specialized or adapted input device such as a head pointer, eye-gaze system, or speech-controlled mouse emulator.
• Some pointing methods lack the capability or accuracy to perform multipoint or path-based gestures.

Success Criterion 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures

Other Related Success Criterion:

• Example: A web site includes a map view that supports the pinch gesture to zoom into the map content. User interface controls offer the operation using plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out.
• Example: A web site includes a map view that supports the pinch gesture to zoom into the map content. As an single-pointer alternative, the map also allows users to double-tap, hold, and then move the pointer up or down to zoom in or out.
• Example: A news site has a horizontal content slider with hidden news teasers that can moved into the viewport via a fast horizontal swipe/flicking motion. It also offers forward and backward arrow buttons for single-point activation to navigate to adjacent slider content.
• Example: A kanban widget with several vertical areas representing states in a defined process allows the user to right- or left-swipe elements to move them to an adjacent silo. The user can also accomplish this by selecting the element with a single tap or click, and then activating an arrow button to move the selected element.
• Example: A custom slider requires movement in a strict left/right direction when operated by dragging the thumb control. Buttons on both sides of the slider increment and decrement the selected value and update the thumb position.

• W3C WCAG: Understanding Pointer Gestures
• G215: Providing controls to achieve the same result as path based or multipoint gestures
• G216: Providing single point activation for a control slider
• F105: Failure of Success Criterion 2.5.1 due to providing functionality via a path-based gesture without simple pointer alternative