Providing specific styles based on prefers-reduced-motion is a solid way to satisfy the new WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.3.3 Animation from Interactions. More recently Eric Bailey’s Revisiting prefers-reduced-motion, the reduced motion media query delved deeper into the benefits of reduced motion for neurodivergent users and users with cognitive disabilities. Though slightly older, James Craig’s Responsive Design for Motion gives an excellent overview of the challenges associated with the use of motion effects and animations for users with vestibular spectrum disorders. With prefers-reduced-motion (part of CSS Media Queries Level 5’s User Preferences Media Features) it’s possible to easily suppress, or provide alternatives to, unnecessary and problematic animation effects on websites, based on whether or not users have set the relevant preference (in their browser or operating system).
