Your Choices Matter: 6 Ways HTML Impacts Your Page’s Accessibility

Web accessibility is essential for ensuring that individuals with disabilities can effectively use websites and applications, with approximately 15% of the world's population experiencing some form of disability. Front-end developers play a crucial role in enhancing accessibility, particularly through intentional HTML markup that optimizes the experience for screenreader users. Key elements include structuring titles, headings, and landmarks to facilitate navigation, appropriately labeling form controls to provide accessible names, and using well-marked tables for data presentation. Buttons, especially those with icons, require careful markup to ensure accessibility, highlighting the importance of using native elements over custom alternatives. The creation of accessibility trees from the DOM and the use of accessibility APIs are vital for conveying the structure and functionality of web pages to screenreaders and other assistive technologies, ultimately improving the user experience for all.