What is WAI-ARIA?

WAI-ARIA stands for "Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications" and is a set of attributes that help developers improve the accessibility of web content. WAI-ARIA attributes allow providing additional information about elements that can be used by screen readers and other assistive technologies [1].

WAI-ARIA includes various attributes, including:

• Roles (roles): Define the type of an element, e.g., whether it is a button, a menu, or a heading.
• States (states): Indicate the current state of an element, e.g., whether an element is activated or deactivated.
• Properties (properties): Provide additional information about an element, e.g., the number of items in a list.

The use of WAI-ARIA attributes is particularly important for dynamic web applications where content and interactions are frequently updated. Through the correct implementation of WAI-ARIA, developers can ensure that their web applications are accessible to all users, including people with disabilities.

Further information on WAI-ARIA and its attributes can be found in the official documentation [1].

1. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), “Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) 1.2.” 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-1.2/ ⤴