Prefers Reduced Motion: Making Your Website More Accessible
Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by a website with a lot of animations and transitions? You might have been feeling a bit nauseous or dizzy. This is a common experience for many people, and it's why the prefers reduced motion media query is so important.
What is Prefers Reduced Motion?
Prefers reduced motion is a media query that allows you to detect the user's preference for animations and transitions. It's a key part of making your website accessible and user-friendly for everyone.
Who Benefits from Reduced Motion?
People who benefit from prefers reduced motion include:
- People with motion sickness: Rapidly changing animations can be very difficult for people with motion sickness.
- People with epilepsy: Certain animations can trigger seizures in people with epilepsy.
- People with migraines: Flashing animations can trigger migraines in some individuals.
- People with cognitive disabilities: Complex animations and transitions can be distracting and confusing for people with cognitive disabilities.
- People who simply prefer a calmer experience: Some people just prefer a smoother, less distracting browsing experience.
How Does Prefers Reduced Motion Work?
The prefers reduced motion media query checks the user's operating system settings. If the user has enabled "Reduce Motion" in their accessibility settings, the media query will return true. You can then use this information to adjust the styling and animations on your website.
Implementing Prefers Reduced Motion in Your Website
Here's how you can implement prefers reduced motion in your website using CSS:
/* General styles for animations */
.animated-element {
animation: my-animation 2s ease-in-out;
}
/* Styles for reduced motion */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.animated-element {
animation: none; /* Disable animation */
transition: none; /* Disable transition */
}
}
This code snippet will apply the animation "my-animation" to any element with the class "animated-element". However, if the user has enabled "Reduce Motion," the animation and transition will be disabled.
Beyond Animations: Smooth Scrolling with Reduced Motion
The prefers reduced motion media query is not just for animations. You can also use it to create a smoother scrolling experience for users who prefer reduced motion.
Here's an example of how to create smooth scrolling without any animations:
// Smooth scrolling without animations
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () {
const links = document.querySelectorAll('a[href^="#"]');
links.forEach(link => {
link.addEventListener('click', function (event) {
event.preventDefault();
const targetId = this.getAttribute('href');
const targetElement = document.querySelector(targetId);
if (targetElement) {
const offset = targetElement.offsetTop;
window.scrollTo({
top: offset,
behavior: 'smooth' // Smooth scrolling
});
}
});
});
});
// Detect prefers-reduced-motion
if (window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches) {
// No animation needed
} else {
// Apply your standard scrolling animation
}
This code uses JavaScript to create a smooth scrolling effect without any animations. It checks if the user prefers reduced motion and adjusts the scrolling behavior accordingly.
Tips for Using Prefers Reduced Motion
- Always test your website with "Reduce Motion" enabled: Ensure your website is accessible and user-friendly for everyone.
- Be thoughtful about the animations you use: Only use animations that enhance the user experience.
- Don't overuse animations: A lot of animations can be overwhelming and distracting.
- Use the prefers reduced motion media query for more than just animations. It can be used to improve user experience in other ways, like smooth scrolling.
Conclusion
By using the prefers reduced motion media query, you can create a more accessible and user-friendly website for everyone. It's a simple but powerful tool that can make a big difference in the experience of your users. Remember to test your website with "Reduce Motion" enabled and be mindful of the animations you use.