Design Principle
A mismatch between visible layout and assistive navigation order breaks orientation and comprehension.
Principle
A mismatch between visible layout and assistive navigation order breaks orientation and comprehension.
Design action
Keep DOM, visual, and tab order aligned after recomposition; focus enters modals on open and returns to the trigger on close.
Examples
Positive example: Responsive grids, multi-column layouts, drawers, modals, and complex forms may change reading paths. Counterexample: CSS visually reorders content while DOM order remains confusing.
Apply when
Responsive grids, multi-column layouts, drawers, modals, and complex forms may change reading paths. Users need to judge state, scope, risk, or next action quickly.
Source notes
Source note: Synthesized from W3C WCAG 2.2, Apple Accessibility, IBM Carbon Accessibility, and accessibility practices in major design systems. WCAG 2.2: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/ WCAG Contrast Minimum: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/contrast-minimum.html WCAG Non-text Contrast: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/non-text-contrast.html Apple HIG Accessibility: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/accessibility Carbon Accessibility Overview: https://carbondesignsystem.com/guidelines/accessibility/overview/
Agent Directive
Keep DOM, visual, and tab order aligned after recomposition; focus enters modals on open and returns to the trigger on close.