Accessible Carousels and Sliders
Carousels — rotating banners that cycle through slides — are popular but frequently inaccessible. Auto-rotation can move content away before someone has finished reading, and hidden slides can confuse screen readers.
If you want a carousel, it can absolutely be made accessible. It is also worth asking whether a carousel is the best way to present the content in the first place.
Giving Users Control
The single most important rule is that people, not the machine, decide when content moves.
- Provide clear, labelled previous and next controls.
- Include a visible pause or stop button if it auto-plays.
- Make all controls reachable by keyboard.
- Hide off-screen slides from assistive technology.
Do You Need One?
Studies repeatedly show most visitors only see the first slide. Often a single strong message, or a simple grid, communicates better and avoids the accessibility pitfalls entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should we drop our carousel?
Not necessarily, but we will help you weigh whether it earns its place. If you keep it, we will make it fully accessible.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.