🧭 Introduction: Why Website Accessibility Matters

🔍 What is ARIA?

ARIA stands for Accessible Rich Internet Applications. It's a set of special HTML attributes used to make custom user interface components more accessible to users who rely on screen readers or other assistive tools.

For example:

<div role="button" aria-pressed="false">Click Me</div>
          

This code tells the screen reader that the div is actually acting like a button — and whether it's pressed or not.

📚 Common ARIA Attributes and Roles

🧠 Best Practices for Using ARIA

• ✅ Use native HTML elements like button or nav before resorting to ARIA.
• 🔁 Keep ARIA states like aria-expanded in sync with your UI logic.
• 🛠️ Test regularly with screen readers (NVDA, VoiceOver, JAWS).
• 🔍 Don’t misuse ARIA to “fix” poor markup — use it to enhance semantic structure.
• 🧪 Validate your implementation using tools like axe DevTools or Lighthouse.

💡 Real-World Example: Accessible Modal Dialog

<div role="dialog" aria-modal="true" aria-labelledby="modalTitle">
  <h2 id="modalTitle">Delete Confirmation</h2>
  <p>Are you sure you want to delete this item?</p>
  <button>Yes</button>
  <button>No</button>
</div>
          

Explanation:

• role="dialog" tells the screen reader it’s a modal window.
• aria-modal="true" prevents background content from being read.
• aria-labelledby="modalTitle" connects the heading with the dialog.

🔍 Tools for Accessibility Testing

• Lighthouse (Built into Chrome DevTools)
• axe DevTools (Browser extension)
• NVDA / JAWS / VoiceOver (Screen readers)
• WAVE (web accessibility evaluation tool)
• Keyboard-only testing (Tab, Enter, Escape navigation)

🌱 Why ARIA Helps SEO and UX

• ✅ Accessible websites load faster and work better on all devices.
• ✅ Google indexes structured and semantic content more effectively.
• ✅ Better UX leads to better engagement, lower bounce rate, and higher conversion.

📌 Conclusion: Build for Everyone

Making your website accessible with ARIA not only improves usability for people with disabilities — it also strengthens your code, SEO, and user trust.

At CodeWibe Computer Class, we teach not just how to build websites, but how to make them accessible and future-ready.

💡 Inclusive design is not optional — it’s essential.

📣 Address