Keyboard Navigation Testing
Keyboard navigation testing verifies that every interactive element and function is fully usable without a mouse — reachable via Tab, activatable via Enter or Space, with a visible focus indicator at all times — essential for users with motor disabilities who can't use a pointing device.
Testing means literally unplugging the mouse (or simply not touching it) and attempting to complete the product's core tasks using only the keyboard — every button, link, form field, and custom widget needs to be reachable and operable this way, with no functionality accessible exclusively through mouse hover or click.
A commonly overlooked requirement is the visible focus indicator itself — an element being technically keyboard-focusable does no good if there's no visual outline or highlight showing where focus currently is, which is why many teams' CSS resets accidentally strip default focus outlines without ever replacing them with an equally visible custom style.
