A Drupal Accessible Menu Module for Dropdowns That Only Work on Hover
A keyboard user tabs to a top-level menu item with a submenu and nothing happens, because the dropdown only opens on mouse hover. Accessible Menus rebuilds your menu block’s interaction so submenus open by keyboard, announce their expanded state, and close predictably.
The Main Menu Is the First Thing Every User Touches. On Many Sites It Excludes Keyboard Users.
Hover-only dropdown and mega menus are one of the most common and most damaging accessibility failures on government sites, because navigation is the entry point to everything else. A submenu that only opens on mouse hover is invisible to keyboard and screen reader users, and a menu button with no aria-expanded state leaves them guessing whether anything happened.
This module installs on any Drupal 10.6+ or Drupal 11 site with Composer, and pairs with WPPersona's WCAG 2.1 AA compliance approach. No CMS migration required.
4.1.2
WCAG criterion requiring the name, role, and state of every UI component be exposed to assistive tech
What Accessible Menus Actually Checks
Every feature below maps to a specific WCAG 2.1 success criterion, not a vague accessibility claim. Here's exactly what changes on your Drupal site.
Keyboard-operable submenus
Submenus open, navigate, and close with the keyboard alone, following the ARIA menu and disclosure patterns instead of relying on mouse hover.
Correct ARIA state
Menu triggers expose aria-expanded and update it as submenus open and close, so a screen reader announces the current state accurately.
Mega menu support
Multi-column mega menus get a logical focus order and grouped labelling, so a keyboard user moves through columns in a predictable sequence.
Mobile menu parity
The responsive and off-canvas menu variants get the same keyboard operability and state announcements as the desktop menu.
Works with your menu block
Layers onto Drupal’s core menu block and common contrib menu systems without forcing you to rebuild navigation from scratch.
From composer require to Fixed, in Four Steps
Point it at your menu
Select the menu blocks the module should enhance, typically the main menu and any mega menu region.
Apply the interaction layer
The module replaces hover-only behavior with keyboard-and-mouse operable disclosure behavior and correct ARIA.
Style the states
Map open, focused, and expanded states to your theme so the visible design matches the announced state.
Test both breakpoints
Verify keyboard operability on the desktop dropdown and the mobile off-canvas variant with the built-in checklist.
“Our mega menu had every department in it and none of it opened by keyboard. It was the single biggest barrier on the site and we had walked past it for years.”
Accessibility Coordinator, State Agency
Common Questions About Accessible Menus
Does this work with Superfish or other menu contrib modules?
It targets the core menu block and the common contrib menu systems. For a heavily customized JavaScript menu, the module’s interaction layer can usually wrap it, and our team confirms compatibility during setup.
What is wrong with a hover-only dropdown exactly?
Hover has no keyboard equivalent, so a keyboard or switch user can never open the submenu, and touch users get inconsistent behavior. WCAG 2.1.1 requires all functionality to be operable by keyboard, which a hover-only menu fails outright.
Will it change how my menu looks?
The visual design stays yours. The module changes interaction and ARIA, and adds focus and expanded-state styling that you map to your existing theme colors.
Get Accessible Menus on Your Drupal Site
There's no self-serve checkout yet. Submit the form and our team confirms your license tier, sends pricing, and gives you private Composer repository access with installation instructions within 1 business day.
- Drupal 10.6+ or Drupal 11, PHP 8.1+, works with the core menu block and common contrib menus
- License covers updates and support for 12 months
Need more than one? See the full Accessibility Suite bundle.
Request to Purchase
Tell us which modules you need. We'll send licensing and setup details.
Pairs Well With
Looking for the deeper compliance picture? Read how these modules fit into WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for government websites, or browse our accessibility resources hub for guides on ADA Title II deadlines.
See Your Agency's PDF Risk in 2 Minutes
Enter your government website URL. We crawl every page, scan every PDF, and deliver a full ADA compliance risk report. No account. No credit card.
Run Free AuditTalk to Someone Who Speaks Government
Our team understands government procurement, ADA compliance timelines, and what it takes to migrate a government website. Free 20-minute demo. No hard sell.
- Full platform walkthrough for your agency type
- Answers to procurement and security questions
- Honest timeline and migration assessment