WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.7, Focus Visible, is a Level AA requirement: keyboard focus is visible.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Keyboard focus is visible
Checked automatically: clicks through the page. Severity: high. A sighted keyboard user who cannot see focus has no way to know where they are on the page.
An approximation: A browser presses Tab through the page. A stop passes when its computed style has an outline or box shadow; otherwise the pixels around it are compared with focus on the element and with focus taken off it, and identical pixels mean nothing marks the focus. A style focus has just set is read once its transition has finished, so a control revealed by fading in is not read as transparent. Controls too small to compare, or inside frames, are reported for review. Whether the indicator is easy to see against its background is not judged.
How to fix it. Give every focusable element a visible focus indicator that meets the contrast requirement against its background, and never remove it without replacing it.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)
Questions
Is WCAG 2.4.7 required by the ADA?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses, but the Justice Department's 2022 guidance points businesses to WCAG, and its 2024 rule for state and local governments adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which includes 2.4.7.
Can an automated tool check WCAG 2.4.7?
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 2.4.7 failure?
Give every focusable element a visible focus indicator that meets the contrast requirement against its background, and never remove it without replacing it.