Accessibility isn't an extra feature to add later. It's a quality of good engineering that benefits everyone.
The Business Case
15% of the global population has some form of disability. That's a massive user base you might be excluding.
Legal requirements exist in many jurisdictions. WCAG compliance isn't optional for many organisations.
Accessible interfaces are often better for everyone. Captions help in noisy environments. Good contrast helps in bright sunlight.
The Foundation: Semantic HTML
Most accessibility problems come from breaking HTML's built-in accessibility.
Use buttons for actions. Not divs with click handlers.
Use links for navigation. Screen readers announce them differently than buttons.
Use headings in order. h1, then h2, then h3. Don't skip levels for styling.
Use form labels. Every input needs an associated label. Placeholders aren't labels.
Keyboard Navigation
Can you use your entire interface without a mouse? Tab through it. Can you reach everything? Can you see where focus is?
Focus indicators matter. Don't remove outlines without providing alternatives.
Tab order should match visual order. Unexpected tab sequences confuse users.
Screen Reader Essentials
Alt text for images. Describe what the image conveys, not what it looks like.
ARIA labels when semantic HTML isn't enough. But semantic HTML first—ARIA is a last resort.
Live regions for dynamic content. Announce changes that users need to know about.
Colour and Contrast
4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text. 3:1 for large text. Test with tools, not eyeballing.
Don't rely on colour alone. Use icons, patterns, or text alongside colour coding.
Testing
Use your keyboard. Use a screen reader. Lighthouse and axe-core catch many issues automatically.
Include users with disabilities in testing. Automated tools miss context.
At Logic Leap, we believe accessibility is part of quality engineering, not an afterthought. Need help building inclusive interfaces? We can help.
What accessibility improvements have had the most impact on your projects?
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