ARIA is a W3C specification that can be used to dramatically improve the accessibility of custom widgets, especially for users of screen readers. For those unfamiliar with ARIA this article aims to explain the unfamiliar through the lens of the familiar: existing HTML widgets.
Posts Tagged ‘ARIA’
Easy Fixes to Common Accessibility Problems
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
Making a site or application accessible can seem so overwhelming that it can completely stall efforts before they begin. But sometimes simple changes can provide the necessary momentum while resulting in significant improvements for users.
So, in the spirit of small things that make a big difference, here’s a list of fixes for common accessibility problems.
Continue reading Easy Fixes to Common Accessibility Problems
Create Dynamic Form Labels with ARIA
Thursday, August 18th, 2011
Many times ARIA is used as a quick fix for accessibility issues caused when more semantic elements should have been used. For instance, an input could use aria-label when the design for the page does not include a visible label tag. Another common use is role="button" when links are used for actions instead of the semantic button. ARIA roles and attributes provide simple solutions to low-hanging fruit; something developers with legacy code and screen reader users can appreciate.
An Accessible Solution for Yahoo Search Direct
Monday, August 15th, 2011
Caridy Patiño, the principal frontend engineer for Yahoo! Search Direct, just wrote an article for the Yahoo! User Interface blog on what went into creating an accessible, dynamic search box: Making Search Direct Accessible.
Caridy worked with Victor Tsaran, of the Yahoo! Accessibility Lab, to fine tune the experience of screen reader users typing a search query and being notified of potential results.
Continue reading An Accessible Solution for Yahoo Search Direct
Using ARIA to Fix Non-standard Images on Flickr
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
![Flickr [EXPLORED]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/2704533754_7088a4a4cc_m.jpg)
Flickr recently published an article that addressed how they rebuilt their lightbox presentation for mobile devices: Lessons Learned from the Flickr Touch Lightbox. This article shows that perceived performance is extremely important on a mobile device. User’s expect something to occur as soon as they touch the screen and any delay degrades the experience.
Continue reading Using ARIA to Fix Non-standard Images on Flickr
Creating Accessible Image Links
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
They say an image is worth a thousand words. This is especially true on the internet; where screen space is limited and an image can give users a quick summary of an article’s content, the appeal of a new product, or a summary of data. Images are also used to give fine control over typography and design.
Internet users also tend to click on images, as they are usually associated with links. Herein lies the problem. Images represent the link’s purpose visually, but how can you ensure the link is usable to non-visual users as well?
Copyright © 2010 - 2012 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
