ARIA (WAI-ARIA if you wish to be formal) is a set of attributes which you can add to HTML elements.
These attributes talk function, state and property semantics to assistive technologies through the accessibility APIs applied in browsers. The W3C HTML specification gives details about which ARIA attributes are allowed for use on every HTML aspect in part 3.2.7 WAI-ARIA.
Developer (un)pleasant info
The necessities laid out in part 3.2.7 WAI-ARIA will not be in a type which might be thought of internet developer pleasant. They’re offered in 2 massive tables and solely embody options which have constraints. i.e. if you should utilize any ARIA attribute, the aspect just isn’t listed, it is because the first goal of this info is for browser and conformance checker implementers, not builders such as you and I. Moreover to seek out out what ARIA attributes can be utilized on a selected aspect, previously would contain navigating away from a component definition to the ARIA part then going by way of the tables to seek out the specified aspect or attribute, to find its ARIA guidelines.
Developer pleasant info
Over the previous few months the W3C HTML specification has been up to date to incorporate the ARIA info, previously tucked away or absent, now offered in your face, within the introductory part of every aspect definition.
Within the instance beneath, the introductory part of the picture element definition now contains details about allowed ARIA roles and property attributes, so builders can rapidly discover the data with out having to hunt about within the spec. Within the case of the (newly added) image aspect, the function attribute can’t be used and solely global ARIA attributes are allowed. The identical ARIA info will be discovered within the introductory part of every element within the HTML specification.
If a component can have roles set it’s said within the intro, for instance the button aspect intro contains all allowed ARIA function values and signifies the default function for the aspect, which in most circumstances does not need to be set. Every function is linked to an outline, throughout the ARIA reference section, of the HTML spec, which additionally features a record of allowed aria-* attributes for every function worth, with further hyperlinks to the ARIA specification info for all function, states and properties.
The intent of those additions to the HTML specification is to make it simpler for builders to get at the knowledge they should make accessible issues with HTML. Suggestions welcome!
Additional Studying
- Using ARIA in HTML – a sensible information for builders on add accessibility info to HTML parts utilizing ARIA.
- WAI-ARIA 1.0 Authoring Practices – An writer’s information to understanding and implementing Accessible Wealthy Web Functions
- HTML 5.1 part 3.2.7 WAI-ARIA
Using ARIA in HTML initially appeared on HTML5 Doctor on June 21, 2014.
