Accessibility First: Designing for Everyone

Introduction

Accessibility is not a feature—it’s a product quality bar. Starting accessible reduces rework, expands your market, and improves usability for everyone.

Accessible Foundations

• Semantics: Use native elements first (button, label, nav, main).
• Labels: Every input needs a programmatic label; associate with for/id or wrap.
• Focus: Ensure visible focus rings; avoid removing outlines without replacement.
• Keyboard: All interactions must work with keyboard alone; manage focus order.
• Color: Never convey meaning by color only; add icons/text.

Common Patterns

• Modals: Focus trap, aria-modal, labelled by title, close on Esc, restore focus on close.
• Forms: Inline errors tied to inputs via aria-describedby; descriptive error text.
• Buttons vs Links: Use button for actions, a for navigation.
• Images: Descriptive alt; empty alt for decorative imagery.

Testing Workflow

• Run automated checks (axe/Lighthouse) during CI.
• Manual keyboard sweep on critical flows.
• Screen reader spot‑checks (NVDA/VoiceOver) on forms and modals.

Conclusion

Bake accessibility into your components and review checklists. Small, continuous improvements compound into inclusive, higher‑converting products.