Resource guide
1.3.4 Orientation
Content must not be locked to a single screen orientation, either portrait or landscape, unless that orientation is essential.
By Calling All Minds·Last updated April 2026
Success criterion
Conformance level
Legal standard — required for EAA compliance.
What it means
Some people mount their devices in a fixed position, such as a wheelchair mount, and cannot rotate them. If a website forces landscape or portrait mode, those users may not be able to access the content at all.
The requirement is that content should work in both orientations. If you have specific reasons why a particular orientation is essential, that is an exception, but it must be genuinely essential, not just a design preference.
In practice
Do not use CSS or JavaScript to lock orientation. Avoid screen.lockOrientation() and CSS media queries that hide or break content in one orientation.
Test your site in both portrait and landscape on mobile devices.
Genuine exceptions include a piano keyboard app where landscape is essential for the layout, or a document scanner that must use the camera in a specific orientation.
Common failures
- Website that forces landscape mode and shows a 'please rotate your device' message with no usable content in portrait
- App that locks to portrait and breaks the layout entirely in landscape
AXS Audit
AXS Audit checks your site against 1.3.4 and flags issues your team can act on straight away. It covers criteria that automated scanners often miss.