ARIA Grid
An ARIA grid is an interactive set of rows and cells. Arrow keys move focus up, down, left, and right.
Another example
A seat map is a 12-by-20 grid. Arrows move one seat, Home goes to the start of the row, and Enter picks a seat. Unavailable seats keep their names but are disabled; the page also offers a list when moving by position is hard.
Main parts
- 01Grid container
- 02Rows and cells
- 03Two-axis focus model
Use it when
Use it when the row-and-column layout matters. One managed Tab stop may be easier than hundreds of separate controls.
Do not use it when
Do not add grid roles to a table people only read. A grid requires app-like keyboard controls.
Name used in code
role=grid/row/gridcell + roving tabindex or aria-activedescendant Before you ship
Give assistive tools the control’s name (accessible name), purpose (role), value, and state. Check keyboard use, visible focus, target size, disabled and busy states, feedback, and recovery.
Outcome: Use ARIA Grid to solve this user need without losing the current context. User context: A seat map is a 12-by-20 grid. Arrows move one seat, Home goes to the start of the row, and Enter picks a seat. Unavailable seats keep their names but are disabled; the page also offers a list when moving by position is hard. Recommended pattern: ARIA Grid. Why it fits: Use it when the row-and-column layout matters. One managed Tab stop may be easier than hundreds of separate controls. Do not use it when: Do not add grid roles to a table people only read. A grid requires app-like keyboard controls. Product requirements: Define the default, loading, empty, error, success, and recovery states. Keep user input. Give clear feedback after every action. Accessibility and resilience: Use semantic HTML, full keyboard access, and visible focus. Make the layout work when zoomed and support reduced motion. Follow the project’s current rules. Do not add a new UI library unless the project already uses it. Acceptance criteria: The main task works with keyboard only and at 320px width. Focus and status changes are announced. Check loading, failure, retry, cancel, and reduced-motion paths. Evidence and limits (evidence boundary): It is official for that source. Other platforms or teams may use the term in another way. Unknowns to confirm: Product wording, data source, analytics events, supported devices and languages, and platform limits.
Check this request
Review the current use of ARIA Grid. Definition: An ARIA grid is an interactive set of rows and cells. Arrow keys move focus up, down, left, and right. Release checks: Give assistive tools the control’s name (accessible name), purpose (role), value, and state. Check keyboard use, visible focus, target size, disabled and busy states, feedback, and recovery. Before changing code, report the evidence you found, gaps, severity, and the smallest safe fix.