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The Ultimate Guide to Web Accessibility for Frontend Developers

Published on July 25, 2020

Introduction

Web accessibility is a critical aspect of building web applications that are inclusive and usable by everyone. As a frontend developer, you have a responsibility to ensure that your projects meet the standards for accessibility. In this post, we will provide an overview of web accessibility and discuss some best practices for ensuring that your projects are accessible.

What is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility refers to the practice of designing websites and applications that can be used by anyone, regardless of their abilities. This includes people with disabilities such as visual impairments, auditory impairments, motor impairments, cognitive impairments, and neurological impairments. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a set of standards for ensuring that websites and applications are accessible to people with disabilities.

Best Practices for Ensuring Web Accessibility

  1. Use semantic HTML: Semantic HTML is a set of HTML elements that have meaning and can be used to convey meaning to screen readers, search engines, and other tools. For example, using the <header> element to indicate the header section of a page, and the <nav> element to indicate a navigation menu.
  2. Provide alternative text for images: Images should have alternative text that describes the content of the image. This helps screen readers and other assistive technologies understand what the image is about.
  3. Make sure forms are accessible: Forms should be designed in an accessible way to ensure that they can be used by people with disabilities. This includes using clear and descriptive labels, providing alternative text for images, and making sure that all form elements are accessible.
  4. Use ARIA attributes: ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes are used to provide information about the purpose and state of an element. These attributes can be used to provide additional context to screen readers and other assistive technologies.
  5. Test your site with different browsers and assistive technologies: It is important to test your website with different browsers and assistive technologies to ensure that it is accessible to as many people as possible.
  6. Follow the WCAG guidelines: The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines provide a set of standards for ensuring that websites and applications are accessible to people with disabilities. It is important to follow these guidelines when building web applications.

Tools for Ensuring Web Accessibility

  1. Lighthouse: Lighthouse is an open-source tool developed by Google that can be used to check the accessibility of a website. It provides a comprehensive report on the accessibility of your site, including any errors or areas for improvement.
  2. Deque Systems: Deque Systems offers a range of tools and services for ensuring web accessibility, including automated testing, expert advice, and training materials.
  3. Accessibility Evaluation Tool: The Accessibility Evaluation Tool is a free tool provided by the W3C that can be used to check the accessibility of a website. It provides a comprehensive report on the accessibility of your site, including any errors or areas for improvement.
  4. Web Accessibility Evaluator: The Web Accessibility Evaluator is a free online tool provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) that can be used to check the accessibility of a website. It provides a comprehensive report on the accessibility of your site, including any errors or areas for improvement.
  5. axe-core: axe-core is an open-source tool developed by Deque Systems that can be used to check the accessibility of a website. It provides a comprehensive report on the accessibility of your site, including any errors or areas for improvement.

Conclusion

Web accessibility is a critical aspect of building web applications that are inclusive and usable by everyone. By following best practices and using the right tools, you can ensure that your projects meet the standards for accessibility. Remember to test your site with different browsers and assistive technologies, follow the WCAG guidelines, and use the right tools to check the accessibility of your site.