Making drag interactions accessible

Dragging movements, like moving items between lists or sliding a control, may feel intuitive, but not all users can perform them. People with motor disabilities or those using alternative input devices like head pointers, speech control, or eye-gaze tools often struggle with pressing, holding, and moving simultaneously.

To make your interface accessible, always provide an alternative that works with a single pointer action like a tap or click. For example, allow users to click on “Move up” or “Send to column” instead of dragging cards on a taskboard. Sliders can offer text inputs or click-to-set interactions that don’t require dragging.