2.5.7: Dragging Movements

What it means

Functions that use dragging must also work with a single pointer without dragging — unless dragging is essential. Sliders, reorder lists, and crop tools need simple alternatives.

Dragging is hard for many users with motor disabilities.

How to fix it

• Let users move sliders with click/tap on the track or numeric input.
• Provide up/down buttons to reorder list items without drag-and-drop.
• Offer text fields to set crop coordinates instead of only handles.
• Test sortable tables with keyboard and tap-only interaction.

Quick examples

• Good: A price range filter accepts typed min/max values as well as dragging handles.
• Bad: Kanban cards move only by drag with no keyboard move action.
• Good: List reordering includes “Move up” and “Move down” buttons.
• Bad: A signature crop tool requires precise mouse dragging only.