Your website could be blocking millions of users right now due to ARIA accessibility. Here’s how to fix it.
Did you know that over 1 billion people worldwide live with disabilities?
Yet, most websites remain inaccessible to them.
This isn’t just a moral issue. It’s a business problem.
Inaccessible websites lose customers. They face lawsuits. They miss opportunities.
But here’s the thing: making your website accessible doesn’t have to be complicated.
ARIA accessibility is your secret weapon.
My Wake-Up Call with ARIA Accessibility
Three years ago, I watched my friend Sarah struggle to buy concert tickets online.
She’s blind. Uses a screen reader.
The “Buy Now” button? Just said “Click here.”
The seat selection? A meaningless grid of divs.
She gave up after 20 minutes.
That’s when it hit me: We’re not just excluding users. We’re excluding customers, friends, family members.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
- 15% of the global population lives with disabilities
- 96.3% of homepages have accessibility failures (WebAIM study)
- $13 billion lost annually due to inaccessible websites
- Over 4000 accessibility lawsuits filed in 2024 alone
What Is ARIA Accessibility? (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)
ARIA stands for Accessible Rich Internet Applications.
Think of ARIA accessibility as a translator. It takes your complex web components and explains them to assistive technologies like screen readers.
Without ARIA accessibility, your dropdown menu is just a bunch of divs. Your image carousel? A meaningless pile of code.
With proper ARIA accessibility implementation, these become navigable, understandable interfaces.
The brutal truth? Most websites fail basic accessibility tests. Don’t let yours be one of them.
The Real Cost of Ignoring ARIA Accessibility
Here’s what happens when you skip ARIA accessibility:
Legal risks. Companies like Target, Netflix, and Domino’s have faced lawsuits. Millions in settlements.
Lost revenue. The disability market represents $13 trillion in annual disposable income globally.
SEO penalties. Google considers accessibility a ranking factor. Poor accessibility = poor rankings.
Brand damage. Social media doesn’t forgive accessibility failures.
Real Companies, Real Consequences
Target Corporation: $6 million settlement in 2006. Still fighting accessibility lawsuits today.
Domino’s Pizza: Supreme Court case. Spent more on legal fees than fixing their website would have cost.
Netflix: $755,000 settlement for inadequate closed captions.
Beyoncé’s Website: Sued for accessibility violations. Even celebrities aren’t immune.
ARIA Accessibility Fundamentals Every Developer Must Know
The Three Pillars of ARIA Accessibility
1. Roles Tell assistive technologies what an element is.
2. Properties Describe the element’s current state.
3. States Explain what’s happening to the element.
Master these three concepts, and you’ll understand 90% of ARIA accessibility implementation.
How I Test ARIA in 5 Minutes
Here’s my quick accessibility audit process:
- Step 1: Turn off your monitor. Navigate with Tab key only.
- Step 2: Use a screen reader (NVDA is free for Windows).
- Step 3: Check color contrast with WebAIM’s tool.
- Step 4: Validate with axe DevTools.
- Step 5: Test on mobile with voice control.
Can’t complete these steps? Your site fails accessibility.
ARIA Roles Cheat Sheet
1. Landmark Roles (Page Structure)
| Role | What It Does | When To Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| banner | Site-wide header | Once per page, top header | <header role="banner">...</header> |
| navigation | Navigation menus | For main or secondary navigation | <nav role="navigation" aria-label="Main menu">...</nav> |
| main | Main content area | Once per page | <main role="main">...</main> |
| complementary | Related content sidebar | Sidebars, secondary content | <aside role="complementary">...</aside> |
| contentinfo | Site-wide footer | Footer section | <footer role="contentinfo">...</footer> |
| search | Search region | Dedicated search forms | <form role="search">...</form> |
| region | Generic landmark region | Any important section with label | <div role="region" aria-label="User settings">...</div> |
| form | Grouping form controls | Forms | <form role="form">...</form> |
2. Widget Roles (User Interface Controls)
| Role | What It Does | When To Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| button | Clickable button | Buttons or links acting as buttons | <button role="button">Click me</button> |
| checkbox | Checkable box | Checkboxes | <input type="checkbox" role="checkbox"> |
| radio | Radio button | Radio buttons | <input type="radio" role="radio"> |
| radiogroup | Group of radio buttons | Group | <div role="radiogroup">...</div> |
| combobox | Dropdown with search/filter | Dropdowns | <div role="combobox" aria-expanded="false">...</div> |
| listbox | List of selectable options | Select lists | <div role="listbox">...</div> |
| option | Option in a listbox | Items in listbox | <div role="option" aria-selected="false">Option</div> |
| slider | Adjustable slider | Sliders | <div role="slider" aria-valuenow="50" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100"></div> |
| spinbutton | Numeric input with increment/decrement | Numeric inputs | <input role="spinbutton" aria-valuenow="1" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="10"> |
| textbox | Text input | Text fields | <input role="textbox" type="text"> |
| searchbox | Search input | Search fields | <input role="searchbox" type="search"> |
| menu | Menu container | Menus | <ul role="menu">...</ul> |
| menubar | Menu bar | Menu bars | <nav role="menubar">...</nav> |
| menuitem | Item in a menu | Menu items | <li role="menuitem">Save</li> |
| menuitemcheckbox | Checkable menu item | Checkable menu items | <li role="menuitemcheckbox" aria-checked="false">...</li> |
| menuitemradio | Radio menu item | Radio menu items | <li role="menuitemradio" aria-checked="true">...</li> |
| tab | Tab in tablist | Tabs | <button role="tab" aria-selected="true">Tab 1</button> |
| tablist | Container for tabs | Tabs container | <div role="tablist">...</div> |
| tabpanel | Tab panel | Panels controlled by tabs | <div role="tabpanel">...</div> |
| tooltip | Tooltip information | Tooltips | <div role="tooltip">More info</div> |
| scrollbar | Scrollbar control | Custom scrollbars | <div role="scrollbar" aria-valuenow="10" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100"></div> |
3. Document Structure Roles
| Role | What It Does | When To Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| article | Self-contained content | Articles, blog posts, comments | <article role="article">...</article> |
| section | Thematic grouping of content | Sections within pages | <section role="region" aria-label="News">...</section> |
| heading | Section heading | Headings with levels | <h2 role="heading" aria-level="2">Title</h2> |
| list | List of items | Lists | <ul role="list">...</ul> |
| listitem | Item in a list | List items | <li role="listitem">...</li> |
| row | Row in a grid or table | Table rows | <tr role="row">...</tr> |
| rowgroup | Group of rows | Table body or header groups | <tbody role="rowgroup">...</tbody> |
| columnheader | Column header | Table column headers | <th role="columnheader">Name</th> |
| rowheader | Row header | Table row headers | <th role="rowheader">...</th> |
| table | Table container | Tables | <table role="table">...</table> |
| grid | Grid or spreadsheet | Complex tabular data | <table role="grid">...</table> |
| gridcell | Cell in grid | Grid cells | <td role="gridcell">...</td> |
| tree | Tree widget | Trees | <ul role="tree">...</ul> |
| treeitem | Item in tree | Tree nodes | <li role="treeitem">...</li> |
| treegrid | Tree with grid structure | Complex trees | <table role="treegrid">...</table> |
| aria-level | Work like h1, h2 etc tag | If you not use like h1,h2 etc tags then you can declear using aria-level, browser will understand its heading tag. aria-level-1 to aria-level-6 same as h1 to h6 | <div aria-level="1"><div> |
4. Live Regions and Status
| Role | What It Does | When To Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| alert | Important, usually time-sensitive info | For error messages and alerts | <div role="alert">Error loading data</div> |
| alertdialog | Modal alert requiring interaction | Critical dialogs needing immediate attention | <div role="alertdialog" aria-modal="true">...</div> |
| log | Live region with log updates | For live logs | <div role="log" aria-live="polite">...</div> |
| marquee | Scrolling text live region | Scrolling news or info | <div role="marquee">Breaking news</div> |
| status | Status messages | Informational live updates | <div role="status" aria-live="polite">Saved!</div> |
| timer | Time-related live region | Countdown timers | <div role="timer" aria-live="assertive">1:00</div> |
5. Miscellaneous Roles
| Role | What It Does | When To Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| application | Complex web application | Rare, for apps with custom keyboard interactions | <div role="application">...</div> |
| group | Grouping related elements | Group form fields or controls | <div role="group">...</div> |
| note | Advisory or supplementary info | Side notes or tips | <aside role="note">...</aside> |
| presentation | Layout or decoration only | Elements ignored by assistive tech | <div role="presentation">...</div> |
| separator | Divider between sections | Dividers in menus/toolbars | <div role="separator"></div> |
ARIA Attributes Cheat Sheet
1. Naming and Labeling Attributes
| Attribute | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aria-label | Provides an accessible name (text label) | <button aria-label="Close menu"></button> |
| aria-labelledby | References one or more elements that label this | <div aria-labelledby="header1">...</div> |
| aria-describedby | References element(s) that describe this element | <input aria-describedby="hint1"> |
| aria-valuetext | Overrides the text representation of a value | <div role="slider" aria-valuetext="Halfway"></div> |
2. State and Property Attributes
| Attribute | Purpose | Values / Usage Examples |
|---|---|---|
| aria-hidden | Hides element from assistive tech | “true” or “false” |
| aria-disabled | Indicates element is disabled | “true” or “false” |
| aria-checked | Check state for checkbox, radio, or menuitemcheckbox | “true”, “false”, or “mixed” |
| aria-selected | Indicates selection in list, grid, tablist, etc. | “true” or “false” |
| aria-expanded | Shows if expandable element is expanded | “true” or “false” |
| aria-pressed | Toggle button pressed state | “true”, “false”, or “mixed” |
| aria-required | Marks input as required | “true” or “false” |
| aria-readonly | Element is read-only | “true” or “false” |
| aria-busy | Indicates loading or updating content | “true” or “false” |
3. Relationships and Ownership Attributes
| Attribute | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aria-controls | Identifies element(s) controlled by this element | <button aria-controls="menu1">Toggle Menu</button> |
| aria-owns | Creates a parent/child relationship not in DOM | <div aria-owns="item1 item2">...</div> |
| aria-activedescendant | Identifies currently active child element | <input aria-activedescendant="option3"> |
| aria-flowto | Indicates next element in reading order | <div aria-flowto="section2">...</div> |
4. Live Region Attributes
| Attribute | Purpose | Values / Usage Examples |
|---|---|---|
| aria-live | Announces dynamic updates to assistive tech | “off”, “polite”, “assertive” |
| aria-atomic | Whether updates are presented as a whole or partial | “true” or “false” |
| aria-relevant | What types of changes are relevant for announcements | “additions”, “removals”, “text” |
5. Widget-Specific Attributes
| Attribute | Purpose | Example / Values |
|---|---|---|
| aria-valuenow | Current value for slider, spinbutton, progressbar | <div role="slider" aria-valuenow="50"> |
| aria-valuemin | Minimum value | <div role="slider" aria-valuemin="0"> |
| aria-valuemax | Maximum value | <div role="slider" aria-valuemax="100"> |
| aria-colcount | Number of columns in a grid or table | <table aria-colcount="5"> |
| aria-rowcount | Number of rows in a grid or table | <table aria-rowcount="10"> |
| aria-colindex | Index of column | <td aria-colindex="3"> |
| aria-rowindex | Index of row | <tr aria-rowindex="2"> |
6. Modal and Dialog Attributes
| Attribute | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aria-modal | Indicates a modal dialog | <div role="dialog" aria-modal="true">...</div> |
| aria-describedby | Description for dialog or alert | <div id="desc1">Form is required</div><div role="alert" aria-describedby="desc1">Error</div> |
7. Miscellaneous Attributes
| Attribute | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aria-live | Live region announcements | <div aria-live="polite">Content updated</div> |
| aria-atomic | Atomic updates of live region | “true” or “false” |
| aria-haspopup | Indicates presence of popup/menu/dialog | <button aria-haspopup="true">Open Menu</button> |
| aria-level | Heading or treeitem level | <h2 role="heading" aria-level="2">Section title</h2> |
Tabindex Accessibility Cheat Sheet
This cheat sheet helps you apply tabindex properly for keyboard accessibility, aligning with best practices for semantic HTML, ARIA, and accessible design.
🔢 Tabindex Values & Their Meaning
| tabindex Value | Description | ✅ Use When | ❌ Avoid When |
|---|---|---|---|
| tabindex=”0″ | Includes an element in the natural tab order | For custom elements like <div role="button">or accessible widgets | On elements already natively focusable like <a>, <button> |
| tabindex=”-1″ | Focusable only via JavaScript, not by tabbing | For programmatic focus (e.g., modals, alerts, skip links) | If keyboard users need to reach it with Tab |
| tabindex=”1+” | Overrides natural order with custom tab flow (discouraged) | Very specific UI needs (e.g., legacy systems or game-like interfaces) | Most cases — it disrupts expected navigation |
❌ Elements That Don’t Need tabindex="0"
| Element | Reason |
|---|---|
<a href="..."> | Already keyboard-focusable |
<button> | Already in tab order |
<input> | Naturally focusable |
<select> | Naturally focusable |
<textarea> | Naturally focusable |
<summary> | Focusable by default in |
✅ Elements That MAY Need tabindex="0" (When Interactive)
| Element | Recommended Usage |
|---|---|
<div> | If used as button, link, tab, etc. with appropriate ARIA role |
<span> | Same as <div>, when made interactive |
<li> | When part of custom components like tabs or menus |
<img> | Only when interactive (e.g., image gallery navigation) |
<svg> | For clickable icons or custom controls |
<section> | When used as a focusable landmark for keyboard navigation |
<article> | Same as above — use tabindex=”0″ only for meaningful keyboard stops |
💡 Best Practices
- Never use positive
tabindex(tabindex="1"or more) unless absolutely required. - Use
tabindex="-1"to trap focus temporarily (e.g., in modals). - Combine
tabindex="0"with proper roles (role="button",role="link") and keyboard support (Enter,Spacehandlers). - Avoid cluttering the page with unnecessary focus targets — focus should only land on meaningful elements.
The 7 Deadly ARIA Sins (I’ve Made Them All)
- Sin #1: Using
role="button"without keyboard support Fix: Addtabindex="0"and Enter/Space handlers - Sin #2:
aria-labelon non-interactive elements Fix: Usearia-labelledbyor regular text instead - Sin #3: Redundant ARIA roles Bad:
<button role="button">Good:<button>(it’s already a button!) - Sin #4: Hiding important content with
aria-hidden="true"Fix: Only hide decorative elements - Sin #5: Forgetting to update dynamic content Fix: Use
aria-liveregions for status updates - Sin #6: Positive tabindex values Bad:
tabindex="1"Good: Let natural tab order work - Sin #7: No focus indicators Fix: Add visible focus styles for keyboard users
My Accessibility Testing Toolkit
Free Tools:
- WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluator
- axe DevTools (Chrome/Firefox extension)
- Lighthouse accessibility audit
- Color Oracle (color blindness simulator)
Screen Readers:
- NVDA (Windows) – Free
- JAWS (Windows) – Industry standard
- VoiceOver (Mac) – Built-in
- TalkBack (Android) – Built-in
Manual Testing:
- Keyboard-only navigation
- High contrast mode
- Zoom to 200%
- Mobile voice control
Your ARIA Implementation Roadmap
Week 1: Audit current site
- Run axe DevTools on top 10 pages
- Document all issues
- Prioritize by impact
2nd Week: Fix the basics
- Add alt text to images
- Ensure proper heading structure
- Test keyboard navigation
Week 3: Implement ARIA
- Add roles to custom components
- Set up live regions
- Test with screen readers
Week 4: Advanced features
- Complex widgets (carousels, dropdowns)
- Dynamic content handling
- Mobile accessibility
Does ARIA Slow Down Your Site?
Short answer: No.
ARIA attributes add minimal bytes to your HTML.
The real performance killer? Inaccessible sites that exclude users.
Accessibility = Better UX for Everyone
- Clear navigation helps all users
- Good contrast improves readability
- Semantic HTML boosts SEO
- Keyboard support helps power users
Ready to Build a Web That Works for Everyone?
The choice is yours.
You can keep excluding 1 billion people.
Or you can start today.
Fix one component.
Add one ARIA label.
Test with one screen reader.
Every accessible feature is a person who can now buy from you.
ARIA isn’t about compliance.
It’s about customers.
Your users are waiting.
What are you waiting for?
