Here are some essential tips to make websites more navigable via keyboard and provide meaningful context to screen reader users:
1. Keep Labels Concise and Descriptive
Ensure ARIA labels are brief yet informative. They should clearly convey the purpose or function of the element without being overly verbose
2. Avoid Redundancy
Do not repeat information that is already provided by visible text. ARIA labels should complement, not duplicate, existing content.
3. Use aria-label for Elements Without Visible Text
For elements like buttons or icons that do not have visible text, use the aria-label attribute to provide a textual description. This helps screen readers convey the element’s purpose to users.
4. Apply aria-labelledby to Associate Existing Text
When there is visible text that describes an element, use the aria-labelledby attribute to link the element to that text. This ensures the screen reader reads the associated text as the label.
5. Clarify Ambiguous Elements
Use ARIA labels to provide context for elements that might be unclear. For example, a search icon can be labeled as “Search” to make its function explicit.
6. Implement aria-hidden for Non-Interactive Content
Hide decorative or non-essential elements from screen readers using aria-hidden="true" to focus users only on the important information.
7. Enhance Dynamic Content
For dynamic content changes like menus or pop-ups, use aria-expanded, aria-controls, or aria-live to notify screen readers of changes in state or content updates.
8. Ensure Keyboard Accessibility
Make sure all interactive elements are accessible via keyboard. ARIA roles and properties can help define the behavior of these elements for screen readers.
9. Test with Screen Readers
Regularly test your website with different screen readers (e.g., NVDA, VoiceOver) to ensure ARIA labels are working as intended and don’t conflict with native HTML accessibility. This helps identify any issues and improve the overall user experience.
