WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.7, Dragging Movements, is a Level AA requirement: dragging has a single-pointer alternative.
Read the criterion in the W3C Recommendation, WCAG 2.2 (opens in a new tab).
How BearScan checks it
Dragging has a single-pointer alternative
Checked automatically: clicks through the page. Severity: medium. Users who cannot hold a button down while moving cannot drag. A slider, sortable list or upload area that only accepts dragging locks them out.
An approximation: The page's drag handlers are recorded as it loads. Draggable elements with a dragstart handler, drop zones, and custom sliders are listed without anything being dragged. A native range input passes; a custom slider passes if clicking along its track moves it; a drop zone passes if a file input sits beside it. Otherwise the buttons and links in or beside it are put to a decisions model (TypeSafe's Jev) for whether one does the same with clicks (move up or down, step a value, choose a file): none, with 80% certainty, fails. Dragging done with raw pointer events and no drag handler or slider role is not found.
How to fix it. Provide a click or tap alternative for every drag: arrow buttons to reorder lists, clickable positions on sliders, a file picker beside a drop zone.
All WCAG 2.2 criteria · Next: 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum)
Questions
Is WCAG 2.5.7 required by the ADA?
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for businesses. 2.5.7 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 2.5.7?
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 2.5.7 failure?
Provide a click or tap alternative for every drag: arrow buttons to reorder lists, clickable positions on sliders, a file picker beside a drop zone.