Make expandable help easy to open, read and close

What to change

Ask the supplier to keep expanded help connected to its heading and allow visitors to explore it without unexpected jumps to another control.

A worked example

Illustrative example

Expanding travel information leaves the visitor at its labelled trigger, then allows reading or tabbing into the revealed directions in the normal order.

Healthcare website design showing connected desktop and mobile service and enquiry layouts. — Make the service and next step clear on every screen.

Healthcare website accessibility illustrated by a focus outline, keyboard key, contrast samples and form. — Review keyboard access, contrast and understandable form fields.

Why this matters to your practice

Expandable information is useful when it keeps a page manageable, but the action should be predictable. Opening travel details should reveal those details without unexpectedly moving the visitor past their introduction. Ask for a simple demonstration using a keyboard and screen-reading software. The control should make clear whether its section is open or closed. If important booking information is hidden inside a panel, also consider whether its label gives visitors enough reason to open it.

How to check the result

Accept when expansion and collapse do not unexpectedly relocate the visitor, and hidden panel controls are absent from keyboard navigation.

A mistake to avoid

Automatically focusing the first link inside every expanded panel can skip introductory information or surprise someone merely inspecting the section.

Turn reading into a next step

Your action checklist

Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.

Checks to discussReach a closed details control with a keyboard and activate it. Check the control's state and how the next Tab press reaches any links inside.Close the panel while focus is on its trigger. Then test closing through any separate control offered inside, checking where focus returns.Ask the supplier to demonstrate the same interaction with a screen reader (software that reads the page aloud). The panel's expanded or collapsed state should be available without visual inspection.

Your answers and notes

Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.

What happens next, and who will do it?

Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.

Related guides

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