WCAG 2.1 · Level A · Operable
WCAG 2.5.4 — Motion Actuation, explained with examples
Functionality operated by device motion (shake, tilt) must also be operable by conventional UI controls and motion actuation must be disableable. Users with motor impairments cannot reliably shake a device. Mounted devices cannot move at all.
- Number
- 2.5.4
- Level
- A
- Principle
- Operable
- Guideline
- 2.5 Input Modalities
Why this criterion exists
Users with motor impairments cannot reliably shake a device. Mounted devices cannot move at all.
If you only remember one thing: functionality operated by device motion (shake, tilt) must also be operable by conventional ui controls and motion actuation must be disableable. Everything else on this page is detail.
Who feels it when this fails
Accessibility criteria sometimes feel abstract until you see who pays the cost when a site ignores them. Motion Actuation affects:
Motor accessibility
Users with mounted devices
How sites typically fail it
These are the patterns we see week after week. None are intentional — they are accidents of how teams build interfaces under deadline. Knowing the failure modes is the fastest path to writing them out of your component library.
Shake-to-undo with no on-screen alternative
How to test for it
Mount a device; can you still use the feature?
Automated scanners catch this criterion most of the time, but never all of the time. Manual testing with the keyboard and a screen reader closes the gap.
A code fix you can copy
Always provide an on-screen control alongside any motion-based shortcut.
The problem
Shake the device to undo the last action.The fix
Shake the device or press the Undo button.Always provide an on-screen control alongside any motion-based shortcut.
Other Operable criteria
Find every accessibility issue on your site in 60 seconds.
Free public scan. No card. AI-generated fixes for every issue we find.