In order to achieve full accessibility, a website should be designed to function seamlessly for individuals who rely solely on a keyboard for navigation and interaction. This encompasses not only users who depend on screen readers but also those who face challenges with using a mouse, have a malfunctioning mouse, or simply prefer keyboard input as their primary method of interaction.
Navigating Tableau Server
Server Main Page
To navigate the Tableau Server main page using only a keyboard:
- Tab Navigation: Utilise the tab button to move through the page elements. The tab order progresses from left to right and top to bottom.
- Dropdown Menus: When encountering dropdown menus, employ the space bar to open them, the up and down arrows to navigate within the dropdown, the enter button to select an option, and the escape button to exit the dropdown.
Navigating Dashboards on Server
When working within a Tableau workbook:
Full Screen: Use F11 to enter full screen mode.
Tab Key: Use the Tab key to navigate through the elements within the workbook. The navigation order proceeds from right to left and then downwards.
- Toolbars: Navigate through the white and blue toolbar at the top of the workbook using the tab key to scroll through the toolbar options.
- Workbook Tabs: Navigate into the tabs of the workbook and use the left and right arrow keys to move between worksheets.
- Selected Worksheet: After selecting a worksheet, Tab again to navigate within the selected worksheet. Use the up and down arrow keys to scroll vertically and the left and right keys to scroll horizontally.
- Navigation Tip: If you accidentally skip an element and wish to return to the previous one without tabbing through everything again, use Shift + Tab to navigate backward.
To interact with filters within a workbook:
- Tab Key: Use the Tab key to navigate to the filter page within the workbook.
Dropdown Filters: When interacting with a filter:
- Press the Spacebar to open the filter's dropdown options.
- Use the Tab key to move off the search field if present.
- Navigate through the filter options using the Arrow keys.
- Press Spacebar to select an option from the dropdown.
- Press Enter to apply the selected filter.
- To close the filter dropdown without applying a filter, press Escape.
Navigating Charts
When you've tabbed to a chart or KPI:
- Data View: Double-tap the Enter key to open the Data View, enabling you to view individual data points.
- Exiting Data View: To exit the Data View window, press Alt + F4.
Things to Consider When Uploading to Server
- Focus Order: Pay attention to the order a user "tabs" through a dashboard when using keyboard navigation. Historically, the only way to adjust this order was to directly edit the id in the <zone> tag in XML, with lower id numbers accessed first. However, as of Tableau version 2021.3, Tableau sets a default order from left to right, top to bottom when uploaded to the server.
- Workbooks Tab: Note that mark selection and actions are not supported for keyboard navigation in the Workbooks tab. Additionally, tooltips are also not supported for keyboard navigation in this context.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that users relying on keyboard navigation have a seamless experience when working with Tableau Server.