FOCUS - It's Where the Action Is!

What is Focus?

Focus refers to the part of the computer that is awaiting your interaction.

There are several layers of potential focus:

• Operating System 
• Applications/Programs (such as web browsers) 
• Content (such as web pages and digital files)
• User Preferences (Assistive Technology and Custom CSS) 

Focus is indicated in a variety of ways, depending on the program and the team who designed the software and content.

For example, in the example of a word processor used to create a document, your focus is indicated by the cursor. In the menu of that word processor, your focus might be indicated by a solid or dashed outline.

In the Windows OS, you can determine which kind of focus indicators are used for different content when you mouse over them by accessing the Windows settings for your Mouse.

In the example of a web page, both the browser and the author-chosen styling can influence whether (and how) focus is indicated.

Using a mouse to determine focus is so intuitive that most people never give the issue much thought. Translating this functionality to a keyboard requires awareness of how focus is managed in our interactions with digital information.

Understanding how focus functions is the first step in being able to find your focus with a keyboard. The next page includes some examples to help demonstrate focus.