Mastering HTML Accessibility: Best Practices for Accessible Coding
Mastering HTML Accessibility: Best Practices for Accessible Coding
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Writing accessible HTML code can make a huge deal of web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Below, we’ll discuss best practices for HTML accessibility and the impact it has on your business.
HTML plays such a critical role in the structure of the web that it must be universally accessible to users with disabilities. Following accessibility standards and guidelines, including those outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), ensures developers create accessible HTML code that accommodates diverse users.
Below, we’ll review HTML accessibility best practices for creating accessible code and examine a list of HTML tags that improve accessibility and the user experience.
What is HTML Accessibility?
HTML accessibility is the practice of designing and coding HTML elements to ensure all users, including those with disabilities, can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the content. The goal of HTML accessibility is to remove barriers that might prevent people with disabilities from accessing information or easily using digital content.
The Connection Between Semantic HTML and Accessibility
One factor that plays a critical role in enhancing HTML accessibility is semantic HTML. Semantic HTML refers to using HTML elements that clearly describe their meaning structurally rather than being used for presentation or styling purposes.
More simply, semantic elements convey the intended meaning of the content they enclose. For example, <button> and <form> are examples of semantic HTML.
Semantic HTML helps developers create more meaningful and structured content. This makes content more accessible and usable for all users, especially those who rely on assistive technologies. Plus, semantic HTML elements ensure web design elements are used appropriately, improving content accessibility and inclusivity.
ARIA and Accessible HTML
Accessible Rich Internet Applications (more commonly known as ARIA) are a set of attributes that can be added to HTML elements to improve their accessibility and usability. The attributes are especially helpful in dynamic and interactive elements that can’t be described by standard HTML alone.
For example, ARIA attributes can be added to semantic HTML to supplement or override the semantic meaning of HTML elements. This is especially useful for elements like <div> or <span> that are usually used when styling web elements that don’t communicate their meaning. Adding an ARIA role like ‘role=button,’ ‘role=navigation,’ or ‘role=tabpanel’ can be added to better convey the purpose of these elements to assistive technologies.
Essentially, ARIA helps to bridge the gap between HTML's semantic capabilities and the more complex elements of web pages or applications. When used correctly and alongside semantic HTML, ARIA attributes contribute significantly to creating accessible web content.
HTML Accessibility Best Practices
Now that you understand HTML accessibility, let’s explore best practices. Incorporating these best practices into your development processes will help further accessibility and usability for users with disabilities.
Use Semantic HTML Elements
As mentioned above, semantic HTML clearly conveys to users the meaning of an HTML element. Adding the intended meaning provides more structure and clarity to content, helping all users, not just those with disabilities, navigate content more easily.
Provide ARIA Roles and Attributes
Along with using semantic HTML elements, use ARIA roles as well. ARIA roles, states, and properties further accessibility for dynamic content, such as custom widgets or interactive elements, by providing additional context for users.
However, be sure to use ARIA responsibly, only changing native semantics if you have to. For example, if a developer wants to build a heading that’s a tab, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recommends avoiding this: “<h2 role=tab>heading tab</h2> and instead doing this: <div role=tab><h2heading tab</h2></div>.
Keep Content Simple and Clear
Avoid using overly complex layouts, excessive animations, or confusing navigation patterns that can be difficult for users with cognitive disabilities to understand and navigate. Use language that’s easy to understand and conveys the meaning behind your content.
Use Proper Heading Structure
Ensure your headings are organized hierarchically (e.g., H1, H2, H3). Avoid skipping headings levels, as this can create confusion for screen reader users. Additionally, ensure your headings accurately describe the content that follows.
Create Accessible Forms
Use semantic markup for forms, including <form>, <label>, <input>, <select>, and <textarea> as you’re building forms. Ensuring each part of the form is properly labeled helps users better understand their purpose, enabling them to complete it more easily.
Use the lang Attribute
The lang attribute indicates the language on a page. Using it helps screen readers and other assistive technologies correctly pronounce words, understand and interpret abbreviations, and present content in the right language for users. It’s a simple but effective way of ensuring content is both accessible and inclusive to a range of users.
Include Descriptive Links
Ensure that all links (<a> elements) on your content are descriptive. They should provide clear information about the destination or purpose of a hyperlink before a user clicks on it. Avoid generic or vague link text like ‘click here’ or ‘read more’ as they don’t convey meaningful information to screen reader users or those navigating via keyboard.
Why HTML Accessibility Matters
HTML accessibility can have a significant impact on your organization — from both a legal and ethical standpoint.
Several accessibility laws, including Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), mandate businesses to provide accessible digital services. Each of these laws cites WCAG 2.0 as the standard to follow as they outline specific standards and criteria for web accessibility. Criteria such as providing alt text for images, ensuring keyboard accessibility, managing focus states, and using ARIA roles all add to HTML accessibility. By following WCAG and accessibility best practices, organizations ensure they follow accessibility laws, lowering the chances of facing accessibility lawsuits or complaints.
Ethically speaking, accessible HTML code improves the user experience for all visitors, boosting satisfaction and retention rates. It expands your potential customer base by accommodating individuals with disabilities, representing a huge portion of the global population. Plus, accessible websites typically rank higher in SEO rankings, allowing more people to find your business.
Here’s the bottom line: increasing the accessibility of your HTML shows your commitment to inclusivity and the experience of your users and mitigates legal risk. This results in more positive business outcomes and fosters a more inclusive digital environment for all users.
Elevate the Accessibility of Your HTML with AudioEye
Digital accessibility starts with your HTML. The more accessible your code is, the more inclusive an experience you can create for your users. Plus, it ensures you’re compliant with international accessibility laws designed to provide equal access to the digital world.
The first step to increasing accessibility is determining how accessible your current code is—and that starts with AudioEye. Our free Website Accessibility Checker scans your page’s code for common accessibility issues and highlights violations.
AudioEye then goes a step further, relying on our team of human experts to test your content for more complex accessibility errors and provide recommendations for improvement. With these insights, you can create a detailed remediation plan to fix accessibility errors and get closer to a more accessible, WCAG-compliant website.
Developers can also test the accessibility of page content with AudioEye’s Developer Tools. The online environment provides a secure place in which developers can test inline code or individual components for accessibility issues early in the web development process. Doing so lets you avoid accessibility issues that could negatively impact your users.
Ready to start your journey towards more accessible code? Enter a URL in our scanner below, or schedule a demo to learn more about AudioEye.
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