2.5 Input Modalities · SC 2.5.1

A1 min read

Pointer Gestures

All functionality that uses multipoint or path-based gestures for operation can be operated with a single pointer without a path-based gesture, unless a multipoint or path-based gesture is essential.

In plain language

Anything you can do with a complex gesture (like a two-finger pinch or a swipe) must also be doable with a single, simple tap or click.

Why it matters

People with limited mobility, tremors, or who use a single-switch device or a mouse instead of a touchscreen often can't perform multi-finger gestures or precise swipes. If that's the only way to use a feature, they're locked out of it entirely.

In practice

Fails this criterion

An image carousel only advances when swiped horizontally, with no visible buttons to move between slides.

Meets this criterion

The same carousel can still be swiped, but also has visible "previous" and "next" buttons that work with a single tap or click.

Test it yourself

Try using the site's touch or gesture-based features (carousels, maps, zoom) with a single click or tap instead of a swipe or pinch. If there's no alternative way to do it, this criterion is failing.

Read SC 2.5.1 on the official WCAG 2.2 specification ↗