Building Accessible Web Applications: A Complete Checklist

Introduction: Why Accessibility Matters

Accessibility (a11y) ensures that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with your web application.

The Accessibility Checklist

1. Semantic HTML

Use correct tags like <header>, <main>, <button>, and <nav> instead of nesting <div> tags everywhere. Screen readers rely on semantic structure.

2. Keyboard Navigation

Ensure all interactive elements are reachable and usable via keyboard tab keys.

3. Color Contrast

Verify that text-to-background contrast ratios meet WCAG AA standards (minimum 4.5:1 ratio).