Web Accessibility: A Complete Developer Guide

Web accessibility ensures that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with websites. It's not just good practice—it's often a legal requirement.

Understanding WCAG

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are organized around four principles:

• Perceivable - Information must be presentable
• Operable - Interface must be navigable
• Understandable - Content must be readable
• Robust - Content must work with assistive tech

Semantic HTML

Use the right elements for the job:

<!-- Bad -->
<div onclick="navigate()">Click me</div>
<!-- Good --> <button type="button" onclick="navigate()">Click me</button>

ARIA Attributes

When HTML semantics aren't enough, use ARIA:

<button 
  aria-expanded="false" 
  aria-controls="menu"
  aria-label="Open navigation menu"
>
  Menu
</button>

Keyboard Navigation

Ensure all interactive elements are keyboard accessible:

function Modal({ isOpen, onClose, children }: ModalProps) {
  useEffect(() => {
    const handleEscape = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
      if (e.key === 'Escape') onClose();
    };
    document.addEventListener('keydown', handleEscape);
    return () => document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleEscape);
  }, [onClose]);
  
  return isOpen ? <div role="dialog">{children}</div> : null;
}

Color Contrast

Ensure sufficient contrast ratios:

• Normal text: 4.5:1 minimum
• Large text: 3:1 minimum
• UI components: 3:1 minimum

Testing

Use multiple testing methods:

• Automated tools (axe, Lighthouse)
• Screen reader testing
• Keyboard-only navigation
• User testing with people with disabilities

Conclusion

Accessibility benefits everyone. By building accessible websites, you create better experiences for all users while ensuring compliance with legal requirements.