WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.11, Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), is a Level AA requirement: focused elements are not hidden by sticky content.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Focused elements are not hidden by sticky content
Checked automatically: clicks through the page. Severity: medium. A sticky header, cookie banner or chat widget that covers the focused element leaves a keyboard user unable to see where they are.
An approximation: A browser presses Tab through the page with the cookie banner and any sticky layers as they load. At each stop five points inside the focused element are hit-tested; if all of them land on something that is not part of the element, it is entirely covered. Partly covered passes, as the criterion allows. A layer that appears only later (a chat launcher opened on a timer) is not seen.
How to fix it. Add scroll-padding equal to the height of sticky headers and footers, and make sure banners and chat launchers do not cover focusable content, or can be dismissed.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures
Questions
Is WCAG 2.4.11 required by the ADA?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses. 2.4.11 was added in WCAG 2.2, so it isn't part of WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the version the Justice Department's 2024 rule adopted for state and local governments. WCAG 2.2 has been the current W3C Recommendation since October 5, 2023.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 2.4.11?
Mostly. BearScan checks it automatically (clicks through the page). A clean result still isn't proof every page passes, only the pages scanned.
How do I fix a WCAG 2.4.11 failure?
Add scroll-padding equal to the height of sticky headers and footers, and make sure banners and chat launchers do not cover focusable content, or can be dismissed.