diff --git a/assets/scss/_image-modal_project.scss b/assets/scss/_image-modal_project.scss
index 0c8f72ffd51..f1d54eea1ca 100644
--- a/assets/scss/_image-modal_project.scss
+++ b/assets/scss/_image-modal_project.scss
@@ -3,6 +3,19 @@
   cursor: pointer;
 }
 
+/* Native button used as the keyboard-accessible image trigger */
+.md__image-trigger {
+  display: block;
+  width: 100%;
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: 0;
+  border: 0;
+  background: transparent;
+  color: inherit;
+  font: inherit;
+  text-align: inherit;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
 /* The Modal (background) */
 .modal {
   display: none;
diff --git a/layouts/_default/_markup/render-image.html b/layouts/_default/_markup/render-image.html
index 34af92caad0..5908ebb4eb8 100644
--- a/layouts/_default/_markup/render-image.html
+++ b/layouts/_default/_markup/render-image.html
@@ -30,15 +30,51 @@
 
 <div class="md__image">
 {{- with $img }}
-  {{- $webp := .Process "webp q85" }}
-  <picture>
-    <source srcset="{{ $webp.RelPermalink }}" type="image/webp" width="{{ .Width }}" height="{{ .Height }}">
-    <img src="{{ $dest | safeURL }}" onclick="openModal(this)" alt="{{ $alt }}"
-    width="{{ .Width }}" height="{{ .Height }}"
-    class="{{ $class }}" />
-  </picture>
+  {{- if reflect.IsImageResourceProcessable . }}
+    {{- $webp := .Process "webp q85" }}
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      class="md__image-trigger"
+      aria-label="Expand image{{ with $alt }}: {{ . }}{{ end }}"
+    >
+      <picture>
+        <source
+          srcset="{{ $webp.RelPermalink }}"
+          type="image/webp"
+        >
+        <img
+          src="{{ $dest | safeURL }}"
+          alt="{{ $alt }}"
+          width="{{ .Width }}"
+          height="{{ .Height }}"
+          class="{{ $class }}"
+        />
+      </picture>
+    </button>
+  {{- else }}
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      class="md__image-trigger"
+      aria-label="Expand image{{ with $alt }}: {{ . }}{{ end }}"
+    >
+      <img
+        src="{{ $dest | safeURL }}"
+        alt="{{ $alt }}"
+        class="{{ $class }}"
+      />
+    </button>
+  {{- end }}
 {{- else }}
-  <img src="{{ $dest | safeURL }}" onclick="openModal(this)" alt="{{ $alt }}"
-  class="{{ $class }}" />
+  <button
+    type="button"
+    class="md__image-trigger"
+    aria-label="Expand image{{ with $alt }}: {{ . }}{{ end }}"
+  >
+    <img
+      src="{{ $dest | safeURL }}"
+      alt="{{ $alt }}"
+      class="{{ $class }}"
+    />
+  </button>
 {{- end }}
-</div>
+</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/layouts/partials/image-modal.html b/layouts/partials/image-modal.html
index 72650e62a27..540e6355414 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/image-modal.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/image-modal.html
@@ -1,61 +1,159 @@
-<div id="myModal" class="modal">
-  <button class="modal-close" onclick="closeModal()">close</button>
+<div
+  id="myModal"
+  class="modal"
+  role="dialog"
+  aria-modal="true"
+  aria-label="Image preview"
+>
+  <button
+    type="button"
+    class="modal-close"
+    onclick="closeModal()"
+    aria-label="Close image"
+  >
+    close
+  </button>
+
   <div class="modal-cont">
-    <img class="modal-pic" id="modalPic" onclick="closeModal()" style="max-width: 100%; max-height: 80vh; margin: auto;" alt="Modal-pic">
+    <img
+      class="modal-pic"
+      id="modalPic"
+      onclick="closeModal()"
+      style="max-width: 100%; max-height: 80vh; margin: auto;"
+      alt="Image preview"
+    >
   </div>
 </div>
 
 <script>
-// Open the Modal
-function openModal(imageIdOrElement) {
-  var src;
+var modalTrigger = null;
+var modalFallbackFocus = null;
 
-  if (typeof imageIdOrElement === 'string') {
-    // If it's a string (image ID), get the source using the ID
-    src = document.getElementById(imageIdOrElement).src;
-  } else if (imageIdOrElement instanceof HTMLImageElement) {
-    // If <img>, get the source directly. currentSrc is what the browser actually
-    // chose, so inside a <picture> the modal reuses the already-fetched WebP
-    // rather than downloading the larger original.
-    src = imageIdOrElement.currentSrc || imageIdOrElement.src;
+function openModal(image) {
+  if (!(image instanceof HTMLImageElement)) {
+    return;
   }
 
+  var src = image.currentSrc || image.src;
+
   if (src && src.includes("#")) {
     src = src.substring(0, src.indexOf("#"));
   }
 
-  document.getElementById("modalPic").src = src;
-  document.getElementById("myModal").style.display = "block";
+  var modal = document.getElementById("myModal");
+  var modalPic = document.getElementById("modalPic");
+  var closeButton = modal.querySelector(".modal-close");
+
+  modalTrigger = image.closest(".md__image-trigger");
+  modalFallbackFocus = document.activeElement;
+
+  modalPic.src = src;
+  modalPic.alt = image.alt || "Image preview";
+  modal.style.display = "block";
+
+  if (closeButton) {
+    closeButton.focus();
+  }
+}
+
+function closeModal() {
+  var modal = document.getElementById("myModal");
+  var modalPic = document.getElementById("modalPic");
+  var trigger = modalTrigger;
+  var fallbackFocus = modalFallbackFocus;
+
+  modalPic.src = "";
+  modal.style.display = "none";
+  modalTrigger = null;
+  modalFallbackFocus = null;
+
+  if (trigger && document.contains(trigger)) {
+    trigger.focus();
+  } else if (fallbackFocus && document.contains(fallbackFocus)) {
+    fallbackFocus.focus();
+  }
+}
+
+function isModalOpen() {
+  return document.getElementById("myModal").style.display === "block";
 }
 
-// Close the Modal
-function closeModal() { 
-  document.getElementById("modalPic").src = "";
-  document.getElementById("myModal").style.display = "none";
+function trapModalFocus(event) {
+  if (event.key !== "Tab" || !isModalOpen()) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  var modal = document.getElementById("myModal");
+
+  var focusableElements = modal.querySelectorAll(
+    'button:not([disabled]), [href], input:not([disabled]), select:not([disabled]), textarea:not([disabled]), [tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])'
+  );
+
+  if (!focusableElements.length) {
+    event.preventDefault();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  var firstElement = focusableElements[0];
+  var lastElement = focusableElements[focusableElements.length - 1];
+
+  if (event.shiftKey && document.activeElement === firstElement) {
+    event.preventDefault();
+    lastElement.focus();
+  } else if (!event.shiftKey && document.activeElement === lastElement) {
+    event.preventDefault();
+    firstElement.focus();
+  }
 }
 
-// Listen for the Escape key to close the modal
 document.addEventListener("keydown", function (event) {
-  if (event.key === "Escape") {
+  if (event.key === "Escape" && isModalOpen()) {
+    event.preventDefault();
     closeModal();
+    return;
   }
+
+  trapModalFocus(event);
 });
 
-// Attach onclick attribute to all <img> after DOM is loaded
 document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function () {
-  var imgTags = document.querySelectorAll("img");
-  imgTags.forEach(function (img) {
-    img.onclick = function () {
-      if (img.dataset.modal !== "false") {
-        openModal(img);
+  var modal = document.getElementById("myModal");
+
+  var imageTriggers = document.querySelectorAll(".md__image-trigger");
+
+  imageTriggers.forEach(function (trigger) {
+    var link = trigger.closest("a");
+    var image = trigger.querySelector("img");
+
+    if (link && image) {
+      image.dataset.modal = "false";
+      trigger.replaceWith(image);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    trigger.addEventListener("click", function () {
+      if (image) {
+        openModal(image);
       }
-    };
+    });
   });
 
-  // Close modal when clicking anywhere inside #myModal
-  var modal = document.getElementById("myModal");
-  modal.addEventListener("click", function () {
-    closeModal();
+  document.querySelectorAll("img:not(.md__image-trigger img)").forEach(function (img) {
+    if (img.dataset.modal === "false" || img.closest("#myModal")) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    img.addEventListener("click", function () {
+      openModal(img);
+    });
   });
+
+  if (modal) {
+    modal.addEventListener("click", function (event) {
+      if (event.target === modal) {
+        closeModal();
+      }
+    });
+  }
 });
-</script>
\ No newline at end of file
+</script>