Keyboard focus does not have to follow the screen’s visual columns from left to right. What matters is whether the sequence keeps related controls together and preserves the meaning of each action. The following is a fictional club-help example for understanding an interface; it does not describe a tested Jai Club Games feature.
Two logical sequences
Hypothetical example: imagine two independent control groups. The first contains “Glossary search” followed by “Clear”. The second contains “Reading list filter” followed by “Apply”. One sensible focus sequence is search → Clear → filter → Apply. A different layout could use filter → Apply → search → Clear. Both sequences preserve each group’s relationship, even though the second may not match the visual order of columns.
When the order breaks the association
Now consider the sequence search → Apply → filter → Clear. Here, “Apply” appears before its own filter, while “Clear” appears after the other group’s filter. A keyboard user may need to remember unrelated controls before completing either task. The problem is not simply that the order differs from the visual columns; it is that the sequence weakens the intended pairings.
Record the focus sequence without activating unrelated controls, then compare it with the intended pairs. Name each input and its associated action in the record, rather than recording coordinates alone.
How to assess the sequence
For this fictional form, ask whether each action follows its related input and whether each pair stays together. If the answer is yes, a non-visual-column order may still be logical. If the answer is no, the sequence may change the meaning or operation of the help interface.
This interpretation follows the focus-order guidance for WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.3, which allows more than one logical order rather than demanding an identical visual arrangement. Read the W3C focus-order guidance.