[#48424] - Various screens and flows: The focus indicator is undefined and can produce difficult or invisible indicators
- New
- Medium
- Build: 5.4-dev
- # 48424
Steps to reproduce the issue
NOTE: Accessibility backlog issue and work-in-progress. This issue has been opened to account for all the issues flagged in the initial Milestone 1a Audit Report. If this is a duplicate issue, it will be closed by the end of September 2026.
| Milestone 1a finding ID | M1a-007 |
|---|---|
| Backlog priority | High |
| Severity — carried from Milestone 1a | Serious |
| Implementation effort | Medium |
| Target milestone(s) | MS2a, MS3a, MS3b, MS7b, MS8a, MS10 |
| WCAG 2.2 success criterion | 2.4.7 Focus Visible |
| Responsibility tag(s) from report | Design, Development |
| Affected Joomla area/component | https://accessibility-project.joomla.org/results/Milestone-1a/milestone1/deliverable1/wcag-report#102861c4-5da3-4715-9575-c30ad8496b39 |
| Affected user journey(s) | 01 – Backend Template (Atum); 02 – Frontend Template (Cassiopeia); 03 – Authentication Flows (FE + BE Login); 04 – MFA Captive View (FE + BE); 05 – MFA Setup - Method / Methods Views; 06 – Media Manager (com_media); 07 – Installer Wizard (com_installer/Install); 08 – Backend List View Pattern; 09 – Backend Edit Form Pattern; 10 – Frontend User Forms; 11 – Backend Options including Permissions; 12 – Update Joomla; 13 – Install Joomla |
| Source report/reference | Milestone 1a WCAG audit report |
| STF reporting reference | To be assigned |
| Issue owner | To be assigned |
| Status | Triage |
Audit finding
The focus indicator is undefined and can produce difficult or invisible indicators
User impact
People with low vision or colour-vision deficiencies may not be able to perceive text, controls, focus states, or status indicators reliably.
Remediation plan
Update the shared design tokens, theme styles, and component states so the affected focus indicators are perceivable in all supported states.
Steps to reproduce
1. Open any Joomla journey.
2. Navigate through controls using Tab and Shift+Tab.
3. Check focus at normal zoom, high zoom, and different backgrounds.
4. Inspect focus styles in developer tools.
5. Observe an undefined, faint, clipped, or invisible indicator.
Version
6.1
Expected result
Focus indication is visible across all interactive controls and elements within the Joomla environment.
Actual result
Focus indication is weak or not present at all. For example:
Backend Template (Atum)
The Joomla! Admin template, especially in the navigation, focus styles are often undefined. The browser’s default focus styles often do not meet the requirements.
In the buttons on the top of the page, here for example the post installation message, the hover style is a brighter blue while the focus style has a blue outline around the button in Safari. While other browsers have more visible focus styles, relying on the default can make it barely visible, especially on dark backgrounds.
Media Manager
A visible focus indicator is missing or undefined here as well, for example when the Toolbar button is focused, there is no visual indicator.
What device were you using? (eg, phone, laptop)
Desktop web
What web browser were you using? (eg, Chrome, Safari)
Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari
Assistive Technology?
N/A
Additional Comments
No response
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a11y
a11y-audit-backlog
a11y-priority-serious (High)
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