Imagine clicking into a website and being hit with swirling graphics, sliding panels, or a bouncing button that just won’t stop. For many people, that kind of animation isn’t just annoying—it’s physically harmful. Dizziness. Nausea. Migraines. Disorientation. For users with motion sensitivity, these effects are all too common.
As developers, we love using motion to make our interfaces feel alive. But when it comes to animation accessibility, we need to be just as thoughtful about who we’re designing for. Great UI isn’t just beautiful—it’s inclusive. And making motion safer doesn’t mean removing it altogether. It just means giving people control.
This guide breaks down what you need to know about motion sensitivity, how to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and how to build user-friendly animation for your projects using CSS, JavaScript, and real-world techniques.
Who’s Affected by Motion—and Why It Matters
Motion sensitivity happens when animations or transitions trigger unpleasant physical reactions. This might include nausea, vertigo, blurry vision, headaches, or even migraines. It’s especially common for people with:
- Vestibular disorders
- Autism spectrum disorder
- ADHD
- Epilepsy
In fact, over 35% of adults experience some kind of vestibular dysfunction by age 40. That’s not a small edge case—it’s a significant part of your user base.
The Trouble With Flashing and Distractions
Animations can also cause cognitive overload. Users with ADHD or processing differences may find it hard to stay focused when elements are constantly moving. Looping carousels or animated background transitions can pull attention away from the main content or calls to action.
And then there’s photosensitive epilepsy. About 3% of people with epilepsy can have seizures triggered by flashing lights—especially red-on-black or high-contrast flickers. That’s why WCAG has strict guidelines around flash frequency.
WCAG and Animation Accessibility: What to Follow
Before diving into the specifics, it’s important to understand that these aren’t arbitrary rules—they exist to protect people. Animation accessibility is a fundamental part of inclusive design, and these guidelines offer a framework that helps you avoid unintentional harm.
Key Guidelines
- 2.2.2 – Pause, Stop, Hide: Any moving content that starts automatically must have a clear way to pause or hide it, unless the motion is essential.
- 2.3.1 – Three Flashes or Below Threshold: Avoid flashing more than 3 times per second.
- 2.3.3 – Animation from Interactions: If your animation happens because someone clicked, scrolled, or hovered—it still needs to be safe and optional.
How to Apply These Guidelines
- Don’t loop animations forever.
- Offer controls to pause or stop motion.
- Never rely on animation alone to convey important info—back it up with text or icons.
Animation accessibility is about making sure motion adds value without harm.
Using CSS to Respect Motion Preferences
What Is @prefers-reduced-motion?
This media query checks whether a user has asked for less motion in their operating system:
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
* {
animation: none !important;
transition: none !important;
}
}If users toggle Reduce motion in macOS, iOS, Windows, Android, or Linux, they’ll instantly get a calmer experience.
Design Strategies
- Remove parallax scroll and large translations.
- Swap animated GIFs with a static frame or CSS background-image.
- Tone down fades and slides—transitions shorter than 250 ms are usually fine.
- Provide fallbacks that still communicate state changes (e.g., use color or underline instead of a shake animation to signal “invalid input”).
Giving Users Control With JavaScript
Even if someone’s system doesn’t request reduced motion, they should still have a choice. Here’s a simple example:
<button id="toggle-motion">Toggle motion</button>
<script>
document.getElementById('toggle-motion').addEventListener('click', () => {
document.body.classList.toggle('reduce-motion');
localStorage.setItem('reduceMotion', document.body.classList.contains('reduce-motion'));
});
// Persist preference between visits
if (localStorage.getItem('reduceMotion') === 'true') {
document.body.classList.add('reduce-motion');
}
</script>Then, in your CSS:
.reduce-motion * {
animation: none !important;
transition: none !important;
}Let users decide what works for them. Animation accessibility is about empowerment.
Pause on Hover or Interaction
You can also pause motion when someone hovers or focuses:
@keyframes spin { to { transform: rotate(360deg); } }
.loader {
animation: spin 1.5s linear infinite;
}
.loader:hover,
.loader:focus-visible {
animation-play-state: paused;
}This small touch gives users breathing room without turning off design completely.
Progressive Enhancement: Accessibility First
Start safe, layer on flair. Treat the reduced‑motion version as the baseline and add richer animation only if the user hasn’t opted out. This progressive‑enhancement approach prevents regressions—future devs won’t accidentally forget animation accessibility because the “accessible” state is the default.
/* Base styles: minimal motion */
.button {
transition: background-color 150ms ease-in;
}
/* Only animate if motion is OK */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference) {
.button:hover {
transform: translateY(-2px);
}
}You can combine media features to catch multiple needs:
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) and (prefers-contrast: high) {
/* Ultra-accessible styles */
}Performance & UX Benefits of Reducing Motion
- Battery & CPU savings on low‑power devices (less layout thrashing, fewer GPU layers).
- A cleaner interface helps all users focus on content and calls to action.
- Lower cognitive load means faster task success—key in e‑commerce checkouts or complex forms.
When stakeholders balk at “turning off the fun stuff,” show how reduced motion often speeds up perceived performance and increases conversions.
Testing for Motion Accessibility
You don’t need to eliminate all animation—you just need to know when and where it matters.
Use Tools Like:
- PEAT (Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool): Checks flash frequency and contrast against seizure‑safe limits.
- WAVE: Flags continuous animations and missing pause controls.
- Google Lighthouse: Includes audits for @prefers-reduced-motion.
- Manual Device Testing: Turn on Reduce motion in the OS and navigate your site—does anything still move?
Combine automated scans with human walkthroughs—especially for pages heavy on micro‑interactions. Ask testers with vestibular or cognitive disabilities for feedback if possible.
Responsible Animation Is Good UX
Animation accessibility isn’t about banning creativity. It’s about respecting user choice, following WCAG, and providing explicit opt‑ins or opt‑outs. When you honor @prefers-reduced-motion, add site‑level toggles, and keep flashes below seizure thresholds, you deliver the best of both worlds: engaging motion for those who love it and a calm, usable experience for those who don’t.
Need a quick check on your motion strategy—or a deep dive into ADA compliance across your entire front end? Schedule a personalized accessibility briefing with the team at 216digital. We’ll help you uncover hidden risks, refine your animation patterns, and build inclusive experiences that look amazing and feel great for everyone.
Let’s create motion that moves people—in the right way.