February 28, 2024 Accessibility
Building Accessible Design Systems
A deep dive into strategies for creating component libraries that strictly adhere to ARIA standards without compromising aesthetics.
Accessibility is not an afterthought – it should be embedded into every design system from the start. In this article, we dive deep into strategies for creating component libraries that strictly adhere to ARIA standards without compromising aesthetics.
Why Accessibility Matters
Over 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. When we build accessible interfaces, we exclude no one and often improve the experience for all users.
ARIA Fundamentals
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) provides semantic information for assistive technologies. The key concepts:
- Roles: Define what an element is (button, navigation, dialog)
- States: Describe the current status (aria-expanded, aria-selected)
- Properties: Provide additional information (aria-label, aria-describedby)
Practical Tips
- Use native HTML elements where possible
- Test with screen readers
- Ensure keyboard accessibility
- Use sufficient color contrast
A11y Design Systems ARIA