W3C Standards

ARIA

ARIA, or Accessible Rich Internet Applications, is a set of attributes that add accessibility information to web content and applications. It is designed to enhance the usability of web applications for individuals with disabilities by providing extra context that screen readers and other assistive technologies can use to interpret web elements.

Key Benefits:

• Improves Accessibility: Provides labels, roles, and properties for elements that standard HTML may not natively support, making interactive components accessible to all users.
• Enhances Navigation: Allows users with disabilities to navigate complex components (like menus, sliders, and dialogs) more effectively.
• Increases Inclusivity: Ensures content is usable by a larger audience, promoting inclusivity and adhering to accessibility best practices.
• Supports Compliance: Assists in meeting legal and industry requirements, such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

Requirements:

• Use ARIA Roles, States, and Properties Appropriately: Implement ARIA attributes only when necessary. For instance, use roles like button, navigation, and alert to identify interactive elements. States like aria-expanded, aria-checked, and aria-disabled should reflect the actual status of interactive elements.
• Do Not Override Native Semantics: Use native HTML elements when possible (e.g., for buttons) and apply ARIA attributes only to augment functionality or when no native element serves the purpose.
• Provide Descriptive Labels: Ensure that elements with non-text content (such as icons) include descriptive aria-label or aria-labelledby attributes to provide context for users relying on screen readers.
• Manage Focus Properly: Use aria-live for live regions that dynamically update and aria-hidden to hide irrelevant content from assistive technologies. Ensure that elements receiving user focus are intuitive and accessible.
• Test with Assistive Technologies: Regularly test applications with screen readers (such as NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack) and other accessibility tools to confirm correct ARIA implementation.

How to enforce

• Accessibility Review as Part of Development Workflow: Integrate accessibility checks, including ARIA attribute validation, in code reviews and the QA process.
• Manual Testing with Assistive Technologies: The team should test critical ARIA implementations, such as navigation and form controls, manually using screen readers to ensure correct behavior.
• Accessibility Documentation and Guidelines: Maintain documentation that includes examples and guidelines for using ARIA attributes, updated regularly to reflect current best practices.

Resources:

• https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/aria/