Accessibility in Modern Web Applications

Accessibility is often treated as a compliance checkbox rather than fundamental design principle. This misses both the business case and technical opportunities. Accessible applications reach 15-20% more users, reduce legal risk (ADA lawsuits increased 300%), and often provide better UX overall. At Acceli, we've audited and remediated accessibility for 25+ applications in 2025. This guide provides practical WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant patterns that scale.

Semantic HTML Foundation

Proper semantic HTML provides 80% of accessibility with minimal effort. Use native elements: <button> for actions, <a> for navigation, proper form elements. For one SaaS app, replacing div-buttons with real buttons fixed 60% of keyboard navigation issues instantly. Maintain proper heading hierarchy (h1 → h2 → h3)—improved screen reader navigation efficiency 40%. Every form input needs explicit labels, not just placeholder text—reduced form errors 28%.

Keyboard Navigation

20% of users navigate primarily via keyboard. Ensure logical tab order matches visual layout. Never hide focus indicators—use custom focus-visible styles. Implement focus trapping in modals so Tab doesn't escape. Use libraries like focus-trap-react or radix-ui that handle complexity correctly. For an enterprise app, ensuring visible focus and logical tab order fixed 50% of keyboard navigation complaints.

ARIA Usage

Rule #1: don't use ARIA if native HTML suffices. Use ARIA for custom components: accordions (aria-expanded, aria-controls), loading states (aria-busy, aria-live), dynamic content updates (role="status"). For a data dashboard, aria-live regions for dynamic updates improved screen reader comprehension 70%. Common mistakes: redundant ARIA, conflicting ARIA, incorrect roles. Test with actual screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver).

Automated Testing

Manual testing doesn't scale. Integrate jest-axe or Playwright with axe-core in CI/CD pipelines. Automated tests catch ~35% of regressions. Build accessibility into component libraries—ensured consistency across 10 applications, reduced per-app remediation 80%. Automated tools catch 30-40% of issues; manual testing still required for complete coverage.

Conclusion

Accessibility is most cost-effective when built in from the start. Semantic HTML, keyboard navigation, proper ARIA, and automated testing create a foundation for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance that scales. Accessible applications reach 15-20% more users, reduce legal risk, and provide better UX for everyone. Budget 15-20% additional time for new projects, or 3-6 months for comprehensive remediation of existing applications.