Accessibility is often treated as a legal requirement to check off before launch. At Netronk, we treat it as a quality signal — an accessible product is almost always a better product for everyone.
Start with semantic HTML
Most accessibility issues can be prevented by using the right HTML elements. A <button> behaves correctly with keyboard and screen readers out of the box. A <div> with a click handler does not. Reach for semantic elements first.
Focus management matters
Users who navigate by keyboard need a clear, logical focus order. Test your product by pressing Tab through every interactive element. If you lose track of where focus is, so will your users.
Colour is not enough
Never rely on colour alone to communicate state. Error messages should have an icon and text, not just a red border. Graphs need labels, not just coloured lines.
Test with real assistive technology
Automated tools catch about 30% of accessibility issues. The rest require manual testing. Use VoiceOver on macOS, NVDA on Windows, or TalkBack on Android. Even 30 minutes of screen reader testing reveals issues no linter will catch.
Write for humans
Good alt text describes what the image communicates, not what it depicts. A chart showing revenue growth should have alt text that summarises the trend, not just “bar chart”.
Accessibility done well is invisible to most users. But to the users who need it, it’s everything.