CSS prefers-reduced-motion Media Query
When I started in the web development industry, media queries were limited -- screen and print were the two media queries I was most often using. More than a decade later, media queries have advanced to various screen units, feature checking, and even color scheme preference. I've been so happy to see CSS evolve beyond incredibly generic settings.
One of the CSS media queries I've recently discovered is prefers-reduced-motion, a media query for users sensitive to excessive motion.
Let's use prefers-reduced-motion to show motion to all users but none to sensitive users:
.animation {
animation: vibrate 0.2s;
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.animation {
animation: none;
}
}
The example above illustrates how we can cater to sensitive users by not animating elements for those who have said they don't want them.
It's amazing how media queries like this can really show users that you care. Sure, we love the fancy razzle-dazzle but not everyone can handle that motion.
![Create a CSS Cube]()
CSS cubes really showcase what CSS has become over the years, evolving from simple color and dimension directives to a language capable of creating deep, creative visuals. Add animation and you've got something really neat. Unfortunately each CSS cube tutorial I've read is a bit...
![Responsive Images: The Ultimate Guide]()
Chances are that any Web designers using our Ghostlab browser testing app, which allows seamless testing across all devices simultaneously, will have worked with responsive design in some shape or form. And as today's websites and devices become ever more varied, a plethora of responsive images...
![Editable Content Using MooTools 1.2, PHP, and MySQL]()
Everybody and their aerobics instructor wants to be able to edit their own website these days. And why wouldn't they? I mean, they have a $500 budget, no HTML/CSS experience, and extraordinary expectations. Enough ranting though. Having a website that allows for...
![Assign Anchor IDs Using MooTools 1.2]()
One of my favorite uses of the MooTools JavaScript library is the SmoothScroll plugin. I use it on my website, my employer's website, and on many customer websites. The best part about the plugin is that it's so easy to implement.
I recently ran...
Hey David!
As someone that has suffered vestibular disorders before, prefers-reduced-motion is a godsend.
A somewhat better, broader implementation is using the a really short
animation-durationinstead ofanimation: none, as it’s fairly common to implement animations in such a way that starts off screen or otherwise invisible, which could mean the elements don’t show up at all if usinganimation: none. Iteration count will prevent us from getting infinite loops.Same thing can be achieved for transitions.
@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){ * { animation-duration: 0.001ms !important; animation-iteration-count: 1 !important; transition-duration: 0.001ms !important; } }