How we improved accessibility in GitLab's new navigation

GitLab's navigation redesign focused on enhancing accessibility for users who rely on assistive technologies, such as screen readers, by conducting early and frequent reviews of accessibility elements. The team employed techniques like mapping the navigation accessibility tree and using HTML prototypes with ARIA attributes to ensure an intuitive experience. Automated tools like aXe DevTools and manual testing with various screen readers and browsers were used to identify and address Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) violations, leading to improvements such as the implementation of "aria-expanded" and "aria-current" attributes for better screen reader interaction. The redesign faced challenges, such as handling interactive content when navigation is collapsed, eventually resolved by leveraging the inert HTML attribute with modern browser support. Through iterative improvements and collaboration with browser vendors, the team achieved a more consistent and familiar navigation experience while remaining committed to ongoing accessibility enhancements and inviting user feedback for future iterations.

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