Arguably, the number one component of web development is web accessibility.
Today, all businesses and private organizations must adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which dictate how web pages and applications are designed from a usability perspective for individuals with disabilities.
One of the best ways to promote web accessibility is ARIA—Accessible Rich Internet Applications. It’s a set of attributes established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to improve accessibility across all types of web applications, from HTML to CSS. Specifically, it ensures they are compatible with assistive technology such as screen readers and magnifiers, allowing individuals with disabilities to explore physical and digital spaces with full and equal participation.
By understanding how to implement ARIA roles, states, and properties, developers can make web content far more inclusive.
Keep reading to learn more about ARIA, including what it stands for, the purpose of ARIA labels, its benefits, and how it improves accessibility.
Introduction to ARIA: What Does ARIA Stand For?
ARIA stands for Accessible Rich Internet Applications. As mentioned previously, it’s a set of guidelines established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that focus on how websites and mobile applications are built. This allows for a more inclusive online browsing experience for individuals with disabilities, such as the cognitive, visual, hearing, and mobility impaired.
In 2006, the W3C recognized the need for guidelines that developers could use to make websites and mobile applications accessible to all users. Specifically, it looks to improve web accessibility by making dynamic web content and applications compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers and magnifiers. In addition, it focuses on adding more built-in accessibility features and better interactivity with web applications so that individuals with disabilities can better navigate pages.
As with all accessibility, the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) works in the background to ensure legal compliance.
Understanding ARIA Labels
One of ARIA’s four most important attributes is ARIA labels, which help provide textual descriptions for interactive elements on a website that are compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers.
For example, ARIA labels provide better visual cues to assistive devices by incorporating textual descriptions that are easily interpreted, allowing users to digest content better. For example, applying a simple label like aria-label=”Search” will help individuals with disabilities hit the search button faster.
Another example is the ARIA required property, which sets a true or false statement when filling in a field.
ARIA labels improve accessibility in many ways. For starters, it ensures that web pages have interactive elements attached to textual descriptions provided by assistive technologies, ensuring that everything from images to icons has an explanation.
Without proper ARIA labels, assistive technologies will have difficulty interpreting buttons, links, and other website elements, which can easily confuse individuals with disabilities. However, ensuring accurate descriptions using ARIA labels only helps to improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities, especially those with impairments who rely on captioning.
Implementing ARIA Labels
Web developers coat ARIA labels within the HTML on websites and mobile applications. Specifically, they use a series of syntax that applies attributes to HTML elements, followed by a textual description. For example, aria-label=”Search” allows assistive technologies to interpret the button or form field as a search field, allowing individuals with disabilities to find it quickly.
Many ARIA labels and attributes can be combined to bring more clarity to interactive developments. Popular attributes are role and aria-describedby; another popular one is aria-labelledby, which helps provide a visual description for an input field.
Kudos to any web developer using the aria-describedby so that the element can provide even more descriptive information on what it’s about.
Some examples of ARIA labels and web development belong to full-fledged website features, such as accessible buttons with icons, descriptive form inputs, and custom interactive elements. For instance, they are heavily used in creating innovative drop-down menus in sliders that are more accessible to screen reader users. Web developers may use a div element to create a custom menu button or a similar function that helps increase understanding overall.
Basic Syntax and Usage
One of the most critical aspects of implementing ARIA labels is a thorough understanding of how HTML works. ARIA label syntax is easily understood and attached to specific HTML elements to enhance accessibility. Although they’re not meant to substitute native HTML elements, they do so to make it easier for screen readers to interpret information.
Common ARIA Label Attributes
To improve website and mobile application accessibility, popular ARIA label attributes include aria-label, which offers text labels and descriptive names for elements that screen readers can interpret easily, along with group-related elements.
Another popular ARIA label attribute is aria-describedby, which provides additional context on website elements like forms, links, and instructional text. For example, any text input field with the correct aria-describedby labeling will provide extra help text (not just recite what the actual text input field is) for more significant context.
When it comes to understanding instructions, aria-describedby is an excellent way to get the point across.
Two more popular ARIA labels are role and aria-live, which work to define a purpose and manage dynamic content updates, respectively. For example, any element that has the role attribute with no HTML tags (like a custom slider implementation) will allow it to be recognized by assistive technologies like screen readers.
Remember, custom elements often lack the built-in semantic meanings offered by native HTML tags. The role attributes ensure that screen readers can understand and interpret these non-standard elements with descriptive vigor.
Examples of ARIA Labels in Web Development
There’s no shortage of benefits of using ARIA labels in web development.
Improved UI
The number one benefit of ARIA labels is empowering individuals with disabilities to provide easier access to websites and mobile applications. By effectively applying ARIA labels to offer all of the necessary context and compatibility with assistive technologies, developments will be made even easier to understand, allowing individuals with disabilities to navigate with ease.
Compliance with Federal Law
One of the four most important components of accessibility standards in the United States is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of The Rehabilitation Act guidelines, which require that our websites and mobile applications be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Remember, approximately 15% of the world’s population suffers from a partial disability, so ensuring full and equal participation for all will ensure greater KPI hits across the board for businesses and private organizations.
By ensuring that websites and mobile applications comply with accessibility standards using ARIA labels, you will create a more inclusive experience for individuals with disabilities.
Improved SEO
Proper ARIA labeling offers many benefits for search engine optimization. Technologies like screen readers parse HTML better, enabling search engine bots to interpret textual content.
For example, many dynamic websites have interactive buttons. Therefore, improperly formatted HTML often does not allow screen readers to understand the button’s purpose, which is missing descriptive text and lowers rankings.
However, better use of a label such as aria-label=”Buy Now” gives it renewed purpose. Search engines can now identify the button and let individuals with disabilities know it’s a prompt to purchase a product or service.
Better User Interactions
By making dynamic websites easier to navigate, we are allowing individuals with disabilities to enjoy better user interactions on the website.
For example, a series of carousels or sliders to navigate left or right could be applied with proper use of ARIA labeling to let individuals with disabilities know the context of the carousel.
Without ARIA labeling, the button will be read aloud as a “button.” However, proper labeling will allow it to announce additional features, such as the previous or next slide, providing better accessibility for all users.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
One last area where labeling serves a purpose is cross-platform compatibility. Ensure that web elements are accessible across all operating systems and device platforms, allowing expanded reach.
ARIA labels help improve SEO, enhance user interactions, and ensure cross-platform compatibility, bringing about a more inclusive online experience for individuals with disabilities. It has all the context right, which helps a lot.
Enhanced User Experience for People with Disabilities
Here are five ways ARIA labels help enhance the user experience for people with disabilities:
Screen Reader Compatibility
ARIA labels do an excellent job of providing much more context to all web page elements using screen readers. For example, when a screen reader encounters a button or link, it will check for an ARIA label so that better information is passed down to the user, such as specific functions buttons, links, or forms are used for.
Descriptive Labeling
One of the best ways to improve accessibility is with descriptive labeling for the visually impaired. Everything from icons to headers can be labeled with better descriptions than one or two words. ARIA labels can also provide descriptive labels for all elements, from icons to menus. For example, allowing yourself aria-label=”Search” provides more meaningful descriptions than a single word.
Dynamic Widget Support
Another excellent benefit of ARIA labels is how they apply to dynamic widgets. For example, an e-commerce store may decide to employ a custom-built slider to select pricing. In this case, two popular ARIA attributes to use would be role=”slider” and aria-valuenow, which informs screen readers on how the element works (e.g., constant adjustment requires audible updates on the pricing shown).
It’s an excellent benefit, especially for the deaf and hard of hearing, who appreciate having clear, immediate feedback during every website interaction.
Better Error Notification UI
One often overlooked benefit of ARIA labels is making notifications more accessible. For example, required fields can benefit from using ARIA attributes like aria-live, which lets compatible assistive technologies like screen readers know that an error message has been dynamically added to the page. This way, these individuals do not have to search for it actively.
Better Tab Navigation
Another way ARIA labels can help is by ensuring accessible tab navigation.
ARIA Labels for Tabs
For example, if you have a web page with multiple tabs, e.g., Home and Contact Us, three ARIA labels (role=”tab,” aria-selected, and aria-controls) can be used to indicate its current state, which tab is being selected, and much more.
Enhancing Web Interaction
In short, ARIA labels can’t completely transform the way individuals with disabilities interact with websites by ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers, which can provide the proper context on all interactive elements on a web page or mobile application.
A Word On Accessibly
For a solid website accessibility widget, look no further than Accessibly. Accessibly is a lightweight website accessibility overlay that allows business owners and web developers to increase their websites’ ADA and WCAG compliance.
Key Features
Its key features include magnification, high contrast mode, voice commands, customizable text size/font, and much more to aid the mobile, hard-of-hearing, visually impaired, and cognitively impaired. Don’t forget about ARIA text-to-speech tools.
Free Trial and Pricing
Plus, users can enjoy a free 7-day trial of the app with instant access to core features, including full accessibility customization, limited-time premium features, and compatibility testing. There are no commitments, with monthly pricing starting at $25.
Test Drive Accessibly
Give Accessibly a test drive today and see how it can be a part of your ongoing accessibility initiatives.
