A visitor tabs into a quote form and the browser scrolls to a field hidden under the fixed navigation. The field still receives keystrokes, but the visitor loses track of where they are. Check this on service pages with sticky navigation, bottom contact controls and banners.

Check visibility separately from tab order

WCAG 2.2 criterion 2.4.11 at Level AA addresses whether a focused component is entirely hidden by author-created content. Aim to keep the whole control and its focus indicator visible wherever practical. A sensible tab order alone can still leave controls obscured.

Follow a real enquiry journey

Start at the top of the page and use Tab and Shift+Tab without a mouse. Navigate to the service enquiry, move through every field and return from the submit button to the previous control. Trigger a required-field validation error locally without sending a real enquiry. Check where focus lands after correction. Repeat with a narrow viewport, larger text and any banner shown on first visit.

Fix the overlay that causes the problem

Measure the sticky header and bottom bar at the affected widths. Scroll padding can reserve room inside the correct scroll container. A fixed number copied from desktop can fail when navigation wraps on mobile. For overlays that genuinely behave as dialogs, give them appropriate focus management and restore focus when they close. Avoid hiding the focus outline to disguise an overlap.

Verify the repaired journey

Test with the header expanded and collapsed, a short viewport and any on-screen keyboard that changes available space. Record the control, the covering element and the steps to reproduce it. A successful check gives the visitor a clear visual position through service selection, validation and return navigation. Full accessibility conformance requires a wider review.

For help with this review, see Website Development or Review Your Website Keyboard Journey.

Related reading includes website accessibility and form error recovery.

Review Your Website Keyboard Journey

Bring the page URL, viewport width and the hidden control. ITZ can help scope the review and agree a controlled test. Review Your Website Keyboard Journey.

Original concept illustration. Primary documentation reviewed on 9 November 2026. Technical reference.