Let’s get something straight. Accessibility isn’t just a checkbox or a government requirement. It’s usability—for everyone. Think of it like this: You built a ramp to your apps. Good.
But then you placed a vending machine right at the top. Congrats—you’re technically compliant, but practically useless.
The goal: Make sure your site works for real humans, not just perfectly-sighted, mouse-wielding, broadband-blessed power users.
Hook: Accessibility Slapped Me in the Face
I had just launched a new client dashboard—sleek, stylish, and painfully inaccessible.
A visually impaired QA tester on the client’s side sent back the feedback. I expected layout bugs. Maybe a font-size complaint. Instead?
“Cannot access navigation via keyboard. Buttons have no labels. Page titles are missing. Help.”
That hit hard. That was my wake-up call. That was my “accessibility slap.”
So here’s my journey—from WCAG-ignorant to WCAG-evangelist—and the lessons I wish I knew from day one.
Your Accessibility Toolbelt (aka Survival Kit)
Before you write a single aria- attribute, grab these:
- Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools): Brutal, but helpful.
- axe DevTools (Deque): More forgiving, very actionable.
- Screen readers:
- NVDA (Windows)
- VoiceOver (Mac)
- Keyboard-only navigation: Yes. Put the mouse away. Just for a day.
- Color contrast checkers: Because pastel-on-white is not “minimalist”—it’s unreadable.
Once armed, you’ll see your app the way many others do. And it’s enlightening.
Best Practices: What WCAG 2.2 Actually Asks For
1. Focus Not Obscured (2.4.11)
Don’t hide focus indicators.
They’re the breadcrumbs for keyboard users. If you scroll them out of view or let them disappear behind a sticky header—game over.
Fix: I added scroll-margin-top to prevent the nav from covering focused links. Small change, big win.
2. Target Size (2.5.8)
Minimum tap target: 24×24 pixels.
No one wants to feel like they’re performing surgery with a thumb.
Fix: Bumped up button sizes. Bonus: even older users gave it a thumbs up.
3. Consistent Help (3.2.6)
If you offer help, don’t make it vanish.
A disappearing tooltip halfway through checkout? That’s evil.
Fix: Added a sticky “Need Help?” widget. Non-intrusive, always available.
4. Dragging Movements (2.5.7)
Not everyone can drag and drop.
Fix: Added simple “Move Up” and “Move Down” buttons next to sortable items. Took 15 minutes. Made the app usable for many more people.
Let’s Be Honest: Accessibility Isn’t Easy at First
- The learning curve is steeper than Flexbox.
- You’ll break things while fixing other things.
- Your designer might rage over “ugly” focus outlines and bigger buttons.
But it gets easier. And more importantly—it makes you better.
Scope: Accessibility Is Not Just for Government Apps
Let’s kill a myth: accessibility isn’t only for banks, hospitals, and .gov sites.
It’s for:
- Startups
- E-commerce stores
- Blogs and portfolios
- Internal dashboards
- Your weekend React side project
If you have users, you need accessibility.
Read more about tech blogs . To know more about and to work with industry experts visit internboot.com .
Conclusion: Designing with Empathy Is a Superpower
Accessibility isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about people.
- The ones who use screen readers
- Who navigate by keyboard
- Who zoom to 200%
- Who have motor limitations
- Or are simply on slow internet in bright sunlight
They deserve access too.
When they get it, the reward isn’t just a pat on the back—it’s real people using and loving what you built.
Final Thoughts: A Love Letter to Accessibility
This wasn’t written from a perfect Lighthouse score or a pristine Figma spec.
It came from lived experience, failed audits, awkward client emails, and many, many aria-* trial-and-errors.
You don’t have to become an accessibility expert overnight.
Just start.
- Add labels.
- Use semantic tags.
- Show the focus.
- Fix those tiny buttons.
You’ll build better apps. And you’ll become a more thoughtful developer in the process.
