No ARIA is better than bad ARIA
8 days ago
- #Accessibility
- #Web Development
- #ARIA
- ARIA roles, states, and properties function like CSS for assistive technologies, controlling non-visual experiences for screen reader users.
- Incorrect ARIA usage can misrepresent visual experiences, leading to negative impacts on non-visual experiences.
- Principle 1: ARIA roles are promises that require corresponding keyboard behaviors; unfulfilled roles can mislead users.
- Principle 2: ARIA can override or enhance accessibility semantics, offering power but also potential danger if misused.
- ARIA can cloak original semantics (e.g., turning a link into a menu item) or enhance them (e.g., adding pressed states to buttons).
- Misusing ARIA can override critical accessibility semantics, such as turning a table into a log or a list into navigation.
- Testing ARIA implementations with browsers and assistive technologies is essential due to varying support levels.
- The guide's examples are optimized for recent Chrome, Firefox, and Safari versions, with unsupported cases highlighting bugs.
- Mobile and touch support for ARIA features is inconsistent, with future updates planned to address this gap.