Unplanned
Last Updated: 16 Feb 2026 12:20 by ADMIN
Lee
Created on: 09 Feb 2026 14:20
Category: Kendo UI for jQuery
Type: Feature Request
1
Keyboard Navigation with Locked Columns and Clickable Elements Fails

I created a forum post and it was suggested that I create a feature request for improved Kendo Grid keyboard accessibility when the grid contains locked columns and/or clickable elements such as buttons, links, and input boxes. I noted the following issues that I feel should be supported without having to write a bunch of workarounds or create a poor user experience for regular (mouse and keyboard) users. 

This is an urgent concern because many of our clients are requiring our site to meet accessibility standards and with the heavy use of Kendo grids in their current state, it does not seem to.

I have a grid with 2 locked columns with a button in the first column and a hyperlink in the second column, the other columns just have text. I set navigatable to true. None of my fields are editable.

Here is a dojo: https://dojo.telerik.com/KUcMekCh

When the user tabs to the grid, they first get the search bar in my custom grid toolbar. Next they tab to the button (which happens to be a bootstrap dropdown menu but I don't think that is relevant). Here is where the issues start:

  1. They then hit tab again and sometimes are taken to the hyberlink while other times they are taken to the next row, skipping column 2's hyperlink. 
  2. The grid does not always enter Kendo's navigation mode. When it doesn't, there is no way for the user to interact with the column header which has the sort and tooltip buttons in it.
  3. When they get to the bottom of the grid, the locked side will scroll vertically but the unlocked side remains in place, causing the rows to be misaligned.
  4. When an input cell is in the unlocked portion of the table, the user has to tab through the entire list before getting back to editing the input for a row. This isn't logical.
  5. I worry that if there were editable cells, which some of my grids have, the user won't be able to tab to the next editable cell and instead will be forced to navigate through every cell. I don't want to make it more difficult for a normal user in order to accommodate a keyboard only user so there needs to be a way for both to work well.
  6. Often the focus ends up on the unlocked table which attempts to put a blue outline around that, however, the outline isn't fully visible since that is inside of a scrollable div.
  7. You can click into a cell with navigatable set to true and then use the navigation but that doesn't work for a keyboard only user.
  8. When navigatable is not turned on, the user cannot scroll vertically if they tab to the table.
1 comment
ADMIN
Anton Mironov
Posted on: 16 Feb 2026 12:20

Hello Lee,

Thank you for outlining these accessibility challenges with the Kendo UI Grid, especially regarding keyboard navigation with locked columns and interactive elements. I understand this is a critical concern for meeting accessibility standards.

Here are some points and suggestions based on your description:

  • Keyboard Navigation Issues: The inconsistent tab order and navigation between interactive elements (like buttons and hyperlinks) in locked columns is a known limitation. Currently, the built-in navigation logic does not fully support seamless movement between all interactive elements, especially in grids with locked columns.
  • Navigation Mode & Header Interactions: The grid may not always enter navigation mode as expected, making it difficult for users to access header controls. This is a limitation of the current implementation.
  • Row Misalignment: The misalignment between locked and unlocked columns during vertical scrolling is a side effect of the separate table structures used for locked columns. There is no built-in fix, but ensuring both sections have synchronized heights can sometimes help as a workaround.
  • Tabbing Logic: Efficient keyboard navigation between editable or interactive cells is not fully supported out of the box. Users may need to tab through all cells, which is not ideal. Custom keyboard handlers could improve this, but it requires additional development effort.
  • Focus Visibility: The focus outline not being fully visible within scrollable divs is a styling issue. You can try applying custom CSS to enhance focus visibility, but this does not address the underlying navigation challenges.

Relevant Feedback Item:
There is an open feedback item related to missing keyboard support for input fields and buttons in Kendo widgets, which aligns with your concerns:

Interim Suggestions:

  • Consider adding custom keyboard event handlers to improve navigation between interactive elements in locked columns.
  • Use custom CSS to enhance focus outlines for better visibility.
  • If you have specific accessibility requirements or user scenarios, sharing more details will help prioritize and shape the feature request.

Your feedback is valuable for improving accessibility in Kendo UI Grid. Thank you for sharing it.

 

    Kind Regards,
    Anton Mironov
    Progress Telerik

    Love the Telerik and Kendo UI products and believe more people should try them? Invite a fellow developer to become a Progress customer and each of you can get a $50 Amazon gift voucher.