Web application accessibility

Accessibility (A11y) is a way to make your web applications accessible to as many people as possible, including people with disabilities. This includes users with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities. Accessibility is not only an ethical responsibility, but also an important aspect of quality development. It provides equal access to digital products for all users, improves UX, and expands the audience. How to make a web application accessible?

• Use semantic HTML. Use tags that enhance interface clarity for screen readers (<header>, <nav>, <main>, <button>).
• Add text alternatives. Use the alt attribute for images to describe their content.
• Ensure keyboard navigation. All interactive elements on the page must be accessible via keyboard navigation.
• Consider colors and sizes. Ensure text is easily readable under any conditions on any device.
• Use ARIA attributes. Utilize attributes (aria-label, aria-live, aria-hidden, role, etc.) to provide additional information for screen readers.
• Test with screen readers. Use NVDA, JAWS, TalkBack, or VoiceOver to assess how your site is perceived by visually impaired users.

What tools can facilitate and speed up the development of accessible web applications?

• React Aria. A powerful library of components and hooks for React that focuses on ensuring accessibility and correct component behavior according to WAI-ARIA standards.
• Reach UI. A component library for React designed with accessibility in mind, complying with WAI-ARIA standards.
• Eslint-plugin-jsx-a11y. A plugin for ESLint that automatically checks JSX code for accessibility compliance.
• Lighthouse. A built-in DevTools tool that analyzes web application performance and accessibility, providing detailed recommendations for improvement, particularly in accessibility.
• Axe DevTools. A browser extension that automatically checks web applications for accessibility compliance, providing reports on issues and recommendations for fixing them.