Why Accessibility Matters

When we talk about web accessibility, we're talking about making sure everyone can use what we build - regardless of ability, device, or situation. It's not just the right thing to do; it's a legal requirement in many jurisdictions and, frankly, it's just good engineering.

Start with Semantic HTML

The foundation of accessible web development is semantic HTML. Use the right elements for the right job:

Use for actions, not

Use heading levels (

through

) in order

Use

Use elements with form inputs - always

This alone gets you surprisingly far. Screen readers, keyboard navigation, and assistive technologies all understand semantic HTML out of the box.

Color Contrast

Your text needs to be readable. WCAG 2.1 AA requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. I use tools like the WebAIM contrast checker during design to verify every color pairing.

A common mistake: using brand colors for body text. Your primary brand color might look great as a button, but it often fails contrast requirements when used as paragraph text on a white background.

Keyboard Navigation

Every interactive element on your page should be reachable and operable with a keyboard alone. This means:

Tab order should follow a logical reading flow

Focus indicators must be visible (don't remove outlines without replacing them)

Escape should close modals and menus

Enter/Space should activate buttons and links

ARIA - Use Sparingly

ARIA attributes are powerful, but the first rule of ARIA is: don't use ARIA if you can use native HTML instead. When you do need it:

aria-label for elements without visible text (icon buttons)

aria-expanded for toggleable menus and accordions

aria-live for dynamic content updates (toast notifications, form errors)

role attributes only when semantic HTML doesn't cover your use case

Testing

I test accessibility at multiple levels:

Automated - Lighthouse, axe DevTools for quick scans

Keyboard - Navigate the entire page with just Tab, Enter, and Escape

Screen reader - Test with VoiceOver (Mac) or NVDA (Windows)

Reduced motion - Enable prefers-reduced-motion and verify animations are disabled

The Bottom Line

Accessibility isn't a feature you bolt on at the end. It's a practice you build into every component, every page, every interaction. When done well, it makes your site better for everyone - not just users with disabilities.