Accessibility Fundamentals Review

"Accessibility is not a feature, it's a requirement. If 15% of users can't use your app, you've failed 15% of users."

When to Apply

Activate this skill when:

• Reviewing JSX with buttons, links, or forms
• Seeing custom interactive components
• Forms with inputs and labels
• Navigation menus
• Modal dialogs
• Any user interaction code

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The Accessibility Checklist

Must Have (Every Interactive Element)

• [ ] Keyboard accessible — All actions work with Tab + Enter/Space
• [ ] Focus visible — Clear visual indicator of focused element
• [ ] Semantic elements — <button> not <div onClick>
• [ ] Form labels — Every input has an associated <label>
• [ ] Alt text — Images have descriptive alt attributes
• [ ] Sufficient contrast — Text readable against background (4.5:1 ratio)

Should Have (Complex Interactions)

• [ ] ARIA labels — Icon-only buttons have aria-label
• [ ] Focus trapping — Modals trap focus until closed
• [ ] Skip links — "Skip to main content" for keyboard users
• [ ] Live regions — Dynamic content announced to screen readers
• [ ] Error messages — Linked to inputs with aria-describedby

Never Do

• [ ] Rely on color alone — Color should not be the only indicator
• [ ] Remove focus outlines — Never outline: none without replacement
• [ ] Use divs for buttons — Use semantic <button> or <a>
• [ ] Trap users — Always provide escape from modals/menus

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Common Mistakes (Anti-Patterns)

1. Div as Button

// ❌ BAD: Not keyboard accessible, no semantics
<div onClick={handleClick} className="button">
  Click me
</div>

// ✅ GOOD: Native button element
<button onClick={handleClick} className="button">
  Click me
</button>

Why it matters: <div onClick> doesn't receive keyboard focus, doesn't respond to Enter/Space, and isn't announced as a button by screen readers.

2. Missing Form Labels

// ❌ BAD: Input has no label
<input type="email" placeholder="Email" />

// ✅ GOOD: Label linked to input
<label htmlFor="email">Email</label>
<input id="email" type="email" placeholder="example@email.com" />

// ✅ ALSO GOOD: Wrapping label
<label>
  Email
  <input type="email" />
</label>

3. Icon-Only Buttons

// ❌ BAD: No accessible name
<button onClick={handleDelete}>
  <TrashIcon />
</button>

// ✅ GOOD: ARIA label for screen readers
<button onClick={handleDelete} aria-label="Delete item">
  <TrashIcon aria-hidden="true" />
</button>

4. Removed Focus Styles

/* ❌ BAD: Focus invisible */
button:focus {
  outline: none;
}

/* ✅ GOOD: Custom but visible focus */
button:focus {
  outline: none;
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(66, 153, 225, 0.6);
}

/* ✅ BEST: Use focus-visible */
button:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid #4299e1;
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

5. Non-Descriptive Link Text

// ❌ BAD: "Click here" tells screen reader nothing
<p>
  To read our privacy policy, <a href="/privacy">click here</a>.
</p>

// ✅ GOOD: Link text describes destination
<p>
  Read our <a href="/privacy">privacy policy</a>.
</p>

6. Missing Heading Hierarchy

// ❌ BAD: Screen reader can't navigate
<div className="title">Welcome</div>
<div className="subtitle">Getting Started</div>

// ✅ GOOD: Proper headings
<h1>Welcome</h1>
<h2>Getting Started</h2>

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Socratic Questions

Ask these instead of giving answers:

1. Keyboard: "Can you complete this action using only the keyboard?"
2. Focus: "If I tab through the page, can I see where I am?"
3. Semantics: "What does a screen reader announce for this element?"
4. Labels: "If the placeholder disappears, how do users know what to enter?"
5. Color: "If someone is colorblind, can they still understand this UI?"
6. Alt Text: "If the image doesn't load, what context is lost?"

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Testing Accessibility

Manual Testing

1. Keyboard test: Navigate entire page with Tab only
2. Focus test: Can you always see where focus is?
3. Zoom test: Does layout break at 200% zoom?
4. Screen reader: Try VoiceOver (Mac) or NVDA (Windows)

Automated Testing

# In your test file
# Pattern: axe-core for React Testing Library
import { axe } from 'jest-axe';

it('should have no a11y violations', async () => {
  const { container } = render(<YourComponent />);
  const results = await axe(container);
  expect(results).toHaveNoViolations();
});

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ARIA Reference

Common ARIA Attributes

Attribute	Use Case
aria-label	Provides name for icon-only buttons
aria-labelledby	Points to element with visible label
aria-describedby	Points to description (error messages)
aria-hidden="true"	Hides decorative icons from screen readers
aria-expanded	Indicates dropdown/accordion state
aria-live	Announces dynamic content changes
role	Defines element's purpose (use sparingly)

The First Rule of ARIA

"No ARIA is better than bad ARIA."

Use semantic HTML first. Only use ARIA when HTML can't express what you need.

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Stack-Specific Guidance

React

// Pattern: Button with accessible name
<button
  onClick={handleAction}
  aria-label="Close modal"
>
  <XIcon aria-hidden="true" />
</button>

Form Error Pattern

// Pattern: Error linked to input
<label htmlFor="email">Email</label>
<input
  id="email"
  type="email"
  aria-describedby={error ? "email-error" : undefined}
  aria-invalid={error ? "true" : undefined}
/>
{error && (
  <span id="email-error" role="alert">
    {error}
  </span>
)}

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Red Flags to Call Out

Flag	Question
<div onClick>	"What happens when a keyboard user tries to click this?"
outline: none	"How does a keyboard user know where they are?"
No form labels	"How does a screen reader know what this input is for?"
Icon-only button	"What does a screen reader announce for this button?"
Color as only indicator	"What if someone is red-green colorblind?"
tabIndex > 0	"This breaks natural tab order. Why is it needed?"

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Interview Connection

"I implemented accessibility best practices including semantic HTML, proper form labeling, and keyboard navigation, ensuring our app is usable by everyone."

STAR story material:

• "Identified accessibility issues with our form and fixed them..."
• "Implemented proper focus management in our modal component..."
• "Added screen reader support for our notification system..."

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MCP Usage

Context7 - Framework Docs

Fetch: WAI-ARIA practices
Fetch: React accessibility documentation

Octocode - Real Examples

Search: "aria-label" + "button" patterns
Search: Modal focus trapping implementations

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Resources

• WCAG 2.1 Guidelines (check Context7)
• Deque's axe-core for automated testing
• WebAIM color contrast checker