Large Links, Buttons, and Controls

Web accessibility is essential for people with disabilities and useful for all. Learn about the impact of accessibility and the benefits for everyone in a variety of situations.

Video on Large Links, Buttons, and Controls

This video information is available as a Text Transcript with Description of Visuals below.

What is “Large Links, Buttons, and Controls”?

The area for clicking and tapping controls must be large enough for people to activate them. This includes links, buttons, checkboxes, and other controls. Small controls, and controls that are placed too close to each other, are difficult for many people to use. This is particularly relevant on mobile devices with small screens.

Who depends on this feature?

People with physical disabilities who have reduced dexterity.

What are the additional benefits?

Content is more usable on touch screens, especially on smaller mobile devices.
Content is more usable for people who are not experienced with the mouse or touch-pad on the computer they are using.
Content is more usable in situations where the device cannot be held steady.

What needs to happen for this to work?

Design large controls or activation areas around the controls. (Increasing the font size of the control sometimes isn’t enough.) Provide adequate separation between selectable controls. Provide labels for controls, which enlarges the activation area in many browsers because the label for checkboxes and option buttons is also clickable.

Learn more

Accessibility Principle:
- Users can easily navigate, find content, and determine where they are
Getting Started:
- Create designs for different viewport sizes
- Ensure that form elements include clearly associated labels
Easy Check:
- Forms, labels, and errors
User Story:
- Mr. Yunus, Retiree with low vision, hand tremor, and mild short-term memory loss
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG Overview):
- Success Criteria relating to “labels”

Text Transcript with Description of Visuals

Audio	Visual
Web Accessibility Perspectives: Large Links, Buttons, and Controls	Web Accessibility Perspectives: Large Links, Buttons, and Controls
Trying to hit a small target requires lots of effort.	A woman tries to thread a needle but misses.
Many websites and applications try to thread the needle.	The woman fails to tap small links on a website.
But on the Web, we can make areas for clicking and tapping easier to use.	The links become larger in size and the woman now easily taps them.
Which is handy on mobile devices especially when we might be moving around at the time.	The woman is using a tablet while preparing a coffee.
Which is critical for people with reduced dexterity.	Another woman with a hand tremor is unable to navigate precisely with the mouse and fails to click small buttons on a website.
Web accessibility: Essential for some, useful for all.	The buttons become larger and the woman with the tremor is now able to click them.
Visit w3.org/WAI/perspectives for more information on Large Links, Buttons, and Controls	Visit w3.org/WAI/perspectives for more information on Large Links, Buttons, and Controls. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative logo