<button> for a button instead of a <div> with a click event seems obvious, but you’d be shocked how often it’s ignored. A screen reader understands a <button>. A <div> styled to look like a button? It’s just a mysterious box.
Here’s a quick comparison of common pitfalls versus the accessible-first approach:
| Avoid This… | …Do This Instead |
|---|---|
Generic <div> or <span> for interactive elements | Use semantic HTML: <button>, <a>, <nav>, etc. |
| Low contrast text (like light grey on white) | Ensure high color contrast (WCAG AA standard is a good start) |
| “Click Here” as link text | Use descriptive link text (“Read our 2024 Sustainability Report”) |
| Images with no alt text | Provide concise, descriptive alt text for all informative images |
| Complex forms with no labels | Associate every form field with a <label> |
3. Design for Perception and Interaction
Color is a wonderful tool, but don’t let it do all the work. If you’re using color to convey information (like a red field for an error), always provide a secondary indicator. An icon. A text label. Something. For the 300 million people in the world with color vision deficiency, that red might be indistinguishable from the green.
And interaction—well, it can’t just be a mouse game. Every single interactive component must be fully operable with a keyboard. That means a logical tab order, visible focus indicators (that little outline you sometimes see—don’t remove it!), and shortcuts for complex components.
Tools and Testing: Your Accessibility Lifelines
You can’t build what you can’t test. Luckily, there’s a whole ecosystem of tools to help.
- Automated Checkers: Tools like axe-core or WAVE are fantastic for catching about 30-40% of common issues—missing alt text, color contrast fails, missing form labels. They’re a great safety net.
- Manual Keyboard Testing: Honestly, this is non-negotiable. Put your mouse away and try to use your entire site with just the Tab, Enter, and Arrow keys. You’ll discover navigation nightmares you never knew existed.
- Screen Readers: You don’t need to be an expert, but spending 15 minutes with NVDA (free for Windows) or VoiceOver (built into Mac) will change how you think about your site’s structure.
- Real User Testing: This is the gold standard. Include people with disabilities in your testing groups. Their lived experience provides insights no automated tool ever could.
Beyond Compliance: The Ripple Effect of Inclusive Design
Framing accessibility as just a legal requirement is a soul-crushing way to look at it. It’s a defensive, fear-based posture. The accessibility-first mindset, on the other hand, is creative and expansive.
When you design for someone with a permanent disability, you almost always build features that help people in temporary or situational situations. The voice control that helps a user with a motor impairment also helps a chef with flour-covered hands. The high-contrast mode that helps a user with low vision also helps someone trying to read their phone in bright sunlight.
You end up building software that is more robust, more intuitive, and frankly, more human. It’s software that acknowledges the beautiful, messy diversity of the people it’s meant to serve. And in a world saturated with digital noise, that kind of thoughtful, human-centered design isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the only thing that truly stands out.