How-to Guides Archives/Category

Email Accessibility Tips for Better Newsletters
Newsletters are still one of the most personal ways to reach people online. They share updates, spark interest, and keep relationships going—all right there in your reader’s inbox. Once the design looks polished and the list is ready, it’s easy to feel like the work is done.

But even the best-looking email can fall short for someone using a screen reader. A missing heading tag, a jumbled reading order, or an unlabeled image can make a message that feels seamless to one person confusing to another.

Email accessibility often gets left behind—not because people don’t care, but because it’s easy to think of it as something separate from web accessibility. In truth, it’s all connected. The same principles that make your website inclusive—clear structure, descriptive alt text, and meaningful markup—apply just as much to your emails.

An accessible email isn’t a bonus feature. It’s a sign of good communication: thoughtful, professional, and built for everyone.

The steps below show how to bring accessibility into your process naturally, without slowing your team down or changing the way you already design and send.

Start with a Strong Foundation

Every accessible email starts with clean, well-structured HTML. A simple one- or two-column layout works best. Multi-column or grid-heavy designs may look great on desktop but can become confusing when read aloud or viewed on mobile.

Keep your code organized so it flows naturally from top to bottom, left to right. When your layout collapses for smaller screens, content should still read in a logical order.

Use semantic markup to structure content:
- <h1>, <h2>, and <h3> tags for headings
- <p> tags for paragraphs
- Avoid using styled <div> elements to imitate headings or sections
If you rely on tables for layout, apply role="presentation" so assistive technologies don’t interpret them as data tables. And try to keep navigation minimal—five or six identical header links can feel repetitive for someone navigating by keyboard or screen reader.

Finally, test your message with images turned off. Many email clients block images by default, so make sure your message still makes sense when visuals are missing.

Make Links and Buttons Clear and Consistent

Screen reader users often jump between links to navigate quickly. That’s why each link should make sense on its own.

Instead of vague prompts like “Click here” or “Learn more,” use language that describes the action:
- “Download our June 2025 Report”
- “View featured products”
- “Register for our next webinar”
For buttons, stick to properly coded <a> tags styled with CSS. If you’re using nonstandard elements, include role="button" and test keyboard functionality. Avoid relying on image-based buttons without text alternatives or ARIA labels.

A few more details to keep in mind:
- When a link opens a page, make sure focus lands in a logical place—at the top or at a key heading, not mid-page.
- Treat unsubscribe and preference links as essential navigation elements. They should be easy to find, clearly labeled, and fully accessible.
Communicate Without Relying on Vision

Images, icons, and videos make emails engaging, but they shouldn’t be the only way you communicate.
- Add descriptive alt text to every meaningful image.
  - Example: <img src="banner.jpg" alt="50% off sale ends July 31">
- For decorative visuals, use empty alt text (alt="") so screen readers skip them.
- Never put important text—like “Register Now” or event details—inside an image unless that information also appears as live text.
If your email includes video or audio, make sure there are captions, transcripts, and accessible controls. Avoid autoplaying media; it can disrupt assistive technology users.

And once again—preview your message with images blocked. It’s one of the simplest ways to catch email accessibility issues before you hit send.

Keep Tables Simple and Purposeful

Tables are sometimes necessary, but they can quickly complicate email accessibility if used carelessly. Before adding one, ask: Could this be a list instead?

If you truly need a data table:
- Use <th> tags for headers
- Identify rows and columns properly
- Avoid merged or nested cells, which confuse screen readers
When a table is only for layout, mark it with role="presentation". In most cases, modern spacing and stacking techniques can replace layout tables without losing visual balance.

Prioritize Readability in Typography and Contrast

Readable text helps everyone—not just users with disabilities.
- Choose simple, widely supported fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri.
- Set body text at 14–16 pixels with line spacing around 1.4–1.5 for comfort.
- Left-align paragraphs rather than centering or justifying them.
- Maintain color contrast ratios of at least 4.5:1 for body text.
Avoid using color alone to convey meaning. Pair color cues with icons, labels, or underlines. Use emoji and symbols sparingly—they can sound awkward when read aloud by screen readers.

Leave breathing room between sections, and test your email in dark mode to confirm text and background colors remain readable. These small checks can make a big difference in overall legibility.

Reduce Friction with URLs and Attachments

Accessibility isn’t just about visuals—it’s about ease of use.
- Replace long, exposed URLs with descriptive links.
- If you must include a raw link, place it on its own line for clarity.
- Ensure attachments like PDFs are tagged and labeled
- Summarize key information within the email body when possible, so users don’t need to download a separate file.
Always include a plain-text version of your email for users relying on text-only clients or low-bandwidth connections.

Even your subject line and preview text play a role in accessibility. These are the first things a screen reader announces, so be specific:

Instead of “July Newsletter,” try “July Updates: Accessibility Toolkit and Webinar Dates.”

Test as a Natural Part of Your Process

Testing shouldn’t feel like a separate task—it should be part of your regular workflow for email accessibility.

Before sending, confirm that:
- Headings follow a logical hierarchy
- All images include alt text
- Links are descriptive
- Contrast meets WCAG standards
- The message reads naturally with images turned off
Check how your email performs in multiple clients—Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail—and on different devices. Then, try it with a screen reader like NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver. Notice whether headings make sense, focus moves predictably, and buttons behave correctly.

Other valuable tests:
- Navigate using only your keyboard
- Zoom in to 200% and ensure the layout still holds together
- Ask teammates or testers who use assistive tech for feedback
Automated tools can flag issues like missing alt text or low contrast, but human review ensures quality. Once testing becomes routine, email accessibility starts to feel natural—not like an extra step, but part of how you craft great communication.

Email Accessibility: The Message Everyone Can Read

Accessibility works best when it’s built in, not added at the last step. When your structure is clear, headings are properly marked, alt text is descriptive, and links communicate purpose, your message feels effortless—no matter how someone reads it.

That’s what email accessibility really delivers: communication that’s consistent, inclusive, and easy for everyone to engage with. It’s not extra work; it’s smarter work that helps your team create better results with less rework and greater reach.

If you’re ready to strengthen that process, 216digital can help. Schedule an ADA briefing, and we’ll walk through your templates, review your workflow, and show you how to make email accessibility a seamless part of every campaign you send.
Greg McNeil

November 12, 2025

How-to Guides

Accessibility, email accessibility, How-to, Web Accessibility, Website Accessibility
How Good Is Your Accordion Accessibility, Really?
You’ve seen it before — those long, scroll-heavy pages packed with information. Even with great content, the layout can feel like a wall of text. It’s easy to lose your place. Harder still to stay focused.

That’s why accordions became so popular. They let you tuck sections away, helping people find what matters without forcing them to wade through everything else. They keep things clean, organized, and easier to digest.

But here’s the trade-off: an accordion that isn’t coded for accessibility can lock people out instead of inviting them in. Keyboard users can get stuck. Screen readers might skip entire sections or misreport whether content is open or closed. What looks tidy on the surface can be chaotic behind the scenes.

In this article, we’ll walk through how to build an accordion that’s not just functional but genuinely inclusive. By the end, you’ll understand what good accordion accessibility looks like — and how small development choices make a big difference for real users.

The Anatomy of an Accordion

At its core, an accordion is simple:
- A header or button people click or focus on.
- A content panel that expands or collapses to show details.
These pairs usually live inside a wrapper — maybe a <div> or a <ul> if you want to give screen readers a count of how many sections there are. Adding an aria-label to that wrapper can help clarify that this group of buttons belongs together.

Here’s a basic structure:
```
<ul aria-label="Accordion Control Group">
  <li>
    <button aria-controls="panel1" aria-expanded="false" id="accordion1">Section One</button>
    <div id="panel1" hidden>
      <p>Content for this section.</p>
    </div>
  </li>
</ul>
```
Think of this as the skeleton. Once you have a clear hierarchy, you can start layering in keyboard behavior and ARIA states. Structure isn’t decoration — it’s how assistive technologies understand your layout and read it back to users. That’s the foundation of solid accordion accessibility.

Keyboard Navigation: Where Real Accessibility Begins

The keyboard test is where most accordions fall apart. If you can’t open, close, and move through the component using only a keyboard, something’s missing.

A few simple rules make all the difference:
- Enter or Space should open and close sections.
- Tab should move forward through headings and visible content.
- Shift + Tab should move backward through that same flow.
When a section collapses, focus should jump back to the button that opened it — not vanish into the page. And every focusable element needs a visible indicator, whether that’s an outline or a subtle highlight.

For longer accordions, a “Skip accordion” link above the section is a small courtesy that goes a long way. It lets keyboard users move past the entire block when they don’t need it.

A good gut check? Set your mouse aside. If you can comfortably navigate the entire component using only your keyboard, your accordion accessibility is already miles ahead.

Semantic HTML: Let Meaning Do the Heavy Lifting

A lot of accessibility work is about using the right tools from the start. Semantic HTML gives browsers and assistive tech the information they need without extra code.

Here’s one solid pattern:
```
<h3>
  <button
    type="button"
    aria-expanded="false"
    aria-controls="panel1"
    id="accordion1-button">
    Billing Details
  </button>
</h3>
<div id="panel1" role="region" aria-labelledby="accordion1-button" hidden>
  <p>Your billing information goes here.</p>
</div>
```
This approach works because:
- <button> is already accessible and keyboard-friendly.
- aria-controls connects the button to its panel.
- role="region" helps screen readers describe the area once it’s expanded.
If you add icons or arrows, hide them from screen readers with aria-hidden="true". They’re visual cues, not meaningful content.

When your markup already carries meaning, ARIA becomes a way to enhance — not patch — your accordion accessibility.

Getting ARIA Right

ARIA attributes are what make dynamic elements “talk” to assistive technology. Used well, they keep users informed about what’s changing on screen.

The essentials:
- aria-expanded shows whether a section is open or closed.
- aria-controls links the button to the content it manages.
- aria-hidden keeps hidden content out of the accessibility tree.
- aria-labelledby ties the panel back to its header.
Your JavaScript should keep these in sync. When a section opens, switch aria-expanded to “true” and remove the hidden attribute. When it closes, set it back to “false” and hide the content again.

Add some visual feedback — an arrow that rotates or a smooth transition — so the interaction feels cohesive for everyone.

Good accordion accessibility doesn’t just meet a spec; it creates a consistent, predictable experience no matter how someone browses.

Native vs. Custom: Choosing the Right Path

If you’re building something simple, the native <details> and <summary> tags might do everything you need. They’re semantic, keyboard-ready, and require almost no JavaScript.
```
<details>
  <summary>Return Policy</summary>
  <p>Most items can be returned within 30 days.</p>
</details>
```
The downside? Styling can be limited, and behavior may vary slightly across screen readers — especially on iOS.

For more complex use cases, like multi-step forms or sections that animate open one at a time, a custom setup gives you full control. Just remember that every bit of custom logic means you’re also responsible for maintaining the accessibility that native elements give you for free.

Putting It All Together

Imagine a checkout form split into three collapsible sections: Personal Info, Billing, and Shipping.

Each section uses a button with aria-expanded and aria-controls. Each panel has role="region" and a unique ID. When users open a section, screen readers announce “Billing section expanded,” and focus moves smoothly to the first field.

If JavaScript fails, the content is still visible and usable. That’s resilience — and it’s a hallmark of good accordion accessibility.

When you build this way, you’re not adding “extra” accessibility. You’re writing cleaner, smarter code that works for everyone.

Testing What You’ve Built

No accessibility checklist is complete without testing.

Manual Testing

Use only your keyboard. Confirm that focus behaves as expected and hidden panels can’t be tabbed into.

Screen Reader Testing

Run through your accordion with NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver. Listen for clear announcements of “expanded” and “collapsed” states.

Automated Tools

Tools like Lighthouse or WAVE can flag broken ARIA references, missing labels, or overlapping IDs. Automated scans are helpful, but they’re not the finish line. Real users will always notice things an algorithm won’t. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s progress and empathy in practice.

Keep Expanding Accessibility

When built with care, accessible accordions do more than tidy up a layout — they make a site feel calmer, smarter, and easier to use. They’re a small reminder that good code and good experience go hand in hand.

Every time you improve an interactive element, you make the web a little more welcoming.

If you’re ready to take a closer look at your site’s accessibility — from accordions to forms, modals, and beyond — schedule an ADA briefing with 216digital. We’ll help you identify where your code stands today and how to make accessibility part of your workflow going forward.
Greg McNeil

October 30, 2025

How-to Guides

Accessibility, accessible accordion, accordion, accordion accessibility, How-to, web developers, web development, Website Accessibility
Are Your Navigation Menus Really Accessible?
Navigation menus sit at the heart of every website. They guide visitors, shape first impressions, and quietly influence how people experience your content. When they’re designed well, users glide through your site without a second thought. But when they’re not—especially for those using assistive technology—they can become invisible walls.

Here’s the encouraging part: most accessibility issues in navigation menus aren’t complicated bugs. They’re small implementation gaps—an unlabeled toggle, a missing focus state, or an overzealous ARIA role. Once you know what to look for, these problems are simple to fix. A few mindful adjustments can turn a confusing experience into one that feels natural and dependable for everyone.

Let’s look at some of the most common pitfalls—and how to create navigation menus that are clear, responsive, and genuinely inclusive.

When Icons Don’t Tell the Whole Story

Hamburger and grid icons are practically universal now, but they often leave assistive technology users guessing. If the icon has no accessible label—or if it always says “Menu” even after opening—someone using a screen reader won’t know what just happened. They can open the menu but might never find their way to close it again.

A simple solution makes all the difference. Use a real <button> instead of a <div>, and include a label that changes dynamically:
```
<button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="nav-menu" aria-label="Open main menu">
  <svg>...</svg>
</button>
```
When the menu opens, toggle both the aria-expanded value and the label text so it says “Close main menu.” Keep the visible and programmatic labels consistent, and test it with a screen reader—you should hear “collapsed” when closed and “expanded” when open. That small update transforms an ambiguous icon into an accessible, reliable control.

When ARIA Does More Harm Than Good

ARIA is powerful—but it’s easy to get carried away. Adding role="menu" or swapping links for clickable <div>s often seems helpful but can actually break keyboard navigation. What once felt intuitive suddenly becomes disorienting.

For most global navigation menus, semantic HTML is your best ally. Let the browser and assistive technology do the heavy lifting:
```
<nav aria-label="Main navigation">
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/shop">Shop</a></li>
    <li><a href="/about">About</a></li>
  </ul>
</nav>
```
Reserve ARIA menu roles for true application-style widgets—not your site’s primary navigation. And if you’re stacking attributes like role, aria-expanded, and aria-owns on every element, take a step back. Clean markup almost always leads to cleaner accessibility.

When Submenus Don’t Communicate Clearly

Expandable submenus can streamline navigation beautifully—unless they leave users guessing what just changed. If the menu opens visually but nothing is announced, or if keyboard focus jumps unpredictably, it can feel like losing your place mid-sentence.

The fix is all about clear communication and focus management. Each expandable section should use a labeled <button> with aria-expanded and aria-controls. When the submenu opens, move focus into it; when it collapses, return focus to the button. Keep the tab order logical, steady, and consistent from top to bottom.

You don’t need fancy transitions or animations to make it feel polished. Reliable, predictable focus behavior builds confidence faster than any design flourish ever could.

When Focus Bleeds Through the Overlay

Full-screen or overlay-style navigation menus look modern, but without careful handling, they can trap or confuse users. If keyboard focus slips to content behind the overlay—or if pressing Escape does nothing—you’ve suddenly turned a convenience into a barrier.

To prevent that, treat your open menu as a modal. Use aria-modal="true" or temporarily set background elements to inert so they can’t receive focus. Keep keyboard focus inside the open menu, and when it closes, send focus back to the toggle button. Include Escape key support, for instance:
```
if (event.key === 'Escape') {
  closeMenu();
  toggleButton.focus();
}
```
This might seem small, but it’s the kind of polish that separates a functional menu from a professional one. Every interaction should have a clear start and finish—no guesswork required.

When Hover-Only Menus Leave Users Behind

Hover-only submenus often look sleek but behave unpredictably. Move your pointer a little too far, and the menu vanishes. Keyboard users can’t open them at all. WCAG flags this under guideline 1.4.13 (Content on Hover or Focus), and it’s one of the easiest ways to unintentionally exclude users.

The better pattern is to use buttons instead of hover triggers, so the same content can be opened with a click or a keypress. Add a slight delay before closing or a “grace zone” so menus don’t disappear the instant a cursor slips away. Support the Escape key for dismissal.

Improving hover behavior doesn’t just make your navigation menus more accessible—it creates a smoother, more forgiving experience for everyone, from stylus users to touchscreen visitors.

When Small Targets Cause Big Frustrations

Tiny icons and tightly packed links might look minimalist, but they’re not friendly to real-world use. On mobile screens—or for anyone with limited dexterity—they can turn simple navigation into a precision test.

Aim for tap targets that are at least 24×24 pixels, or use padding to achieve the same result. Stick to flexible units like em or rem so spacing adapts naturally to user settings. And always test your navigation menus at 320px width and 200% zoom. They should remain readable, functional, and scroll-free.

If you can comfortably use your site one-handed on your phone, chances are others can too.

When Users Can’t Find Their Bearings

Good wayfinding is subtle but essential. Without clear navigation landmarks or skip links, screen reader users can’t easily tell which menu they’re in—or how to bypass repeated links.

Make orientation effortless. Label every <nav> region descriptively:
```
<nav aria-label="Primary navigation">
<nav aria-label="Footer links">
```
Include a “Skip to main content” link that becomes visible on focus:
```
<a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">Skip to main content</a>
```
Consistency matters just as much as code. Keep link names and order uniform across your site so users can build reliable patterns as they move from page to page.

Building Navigation That Truly Guides

Accessible navigation isn’t just about compliance—it’s about creating confidence. When every visitor, regardless of ability, can explore your site without hesitation, you’ve built something far more meaningful than a working menu—you’ve built trust.

Each small improvement—a descriptive label, a focus fix, a skip link—adds up to an experience that feels intentional and human. Accessibility isn’t about limitation; it’s about refinement.

If you’d like an expert review of your site’s navigation structure—or want to chart a practical roadmap toward WCAG compliance—schedule an ADA briefing with 216digital. We’ll help you evaluate your navigation menus, identify quick wins, and design sustainable improvements that keep accessibility woven into every future update.
Greg McNeil

October 27, 2025

How-to Guides

Accessibility, Keyboard Navigation, navigation menu, Web Accessibility, Website Accessibility
Is Accessibility in Your Marketing the Missing Link?
Marketers love to talk about connection—finding that message, tone, or moment that really lands. Yet for years, accessibility sat on the sidelines. It was something teams circled back to after launch, if they got to it at all.

But bringing accessibility into the creative process from the start changes that. It refines ideas, sharpens the message, and makes the experience easier to use. Reach grows not by pushing harder, but by removing the barriers that hold people back.

Most of us weren’t taught to work this way, and that’s understandable—marketing has often moved faster than the systems built to support it. But that’s beginning to change. This article explores how accessibility in marketing is reshaping the creative process itself—and how embracing it can make our work not only more inclusive, but more effective and enduring.

Why Accessibility Belongs in Your Marketing Roadmap

Accessibility isn’t a new idea, but it’s finally being recognized as a core part of communication strategy. One in five adults lives with a disability that affects how they engage online. When we design with those experiences in mind, we don’t just improve access—we improve clarity, usability, and trust for everyone.

The Business Case for Accessibility

Accessibility pays off in ways that are both practical and measurable:
- Wider reach: When more people can access your content, your audience grows naturally.
- Stronger SEO: Structured headings, alt text, and transcripts help search engines—and people—understand your message.
- Higher engagement: Clear layouts, legible text, and captioned videos make it easier to stay connected.
- Better retention: Usable design keeps people from bouncing away in frustration.
- More trust: When users feel considered, they’re more likely to return and recommend.
The Risk of Leaving Accessibility Out

Ignoring accessibility comes with its own set of costs. Legal frameworks like the ADA and WCAG continue to expand, but reputation often carries the higher stakes. Inaccessibility doesn’t just cause frustration—it signals that some users weren’t considered. Building inclusivity into your work helps prevent that, and it strengthens credibility over the long term.

Understanding why accessibility matters is only half the story. The next step is making it part of how your team actually works—building it into everyday processes so it becomes second nature.

Building Accessibility into Your Marketing Workflow

You don’t need to overhaul your entire process to make it accessible—you just need to integrate it into the one you already have. Accessibility works best when it’s treated as a mindset that travels through every stage of a project.

Start Early

Bring accessibility into the conversation from the first meeting. Talk about things like contrast, reading level, captions, and structure while you’re still shaping creative direction. When inclusion is part of the plan from the start, it stops feeling like a post-production fix.

Create Together

Accessibility thrives when everyone contributes:
- Writers can use plain, active language and clear CTAs that describe the next step.
- Designers can choose accessible color palettes, scale type properly, and maintain consistent structure.
- Developers can ensure forms, buttons, and navigation work for keyboard users and assistive technologies.
When every role takes ownership, accessibility becomes a shared value rather than a box someone else has to check.

Test Before Launch

Automation helps, but people matter more. Run your pages or campaigns through accessibility tools like WAVE or Lighthouse, then do a manual pass. Navigate with a keyboard, listen to your content through a screen reader, and check if the flow feels intuitive.

Maintain a short, clear accessibility guide that lives where your team works. It doesn’t need to be heavy-handed—just a practical reminder of how to write alt text, structure headings, or format captions consistently.

Where Accessibility in Marketing Matters Most

Website

Your website is your primary channel—and often the first impression of your brand’s care for its audience.
- Keep headings structured (H1–H6) for both readability and SEO.
- Use descriptive alt text that communicates meaning, not just appearance.
- Maintain color contrast ratios of at least 4.5:1.
- Label form fields clearly, and include helpful error messages that explain what went wrong.
- Make sure interactive elements like sliders and pop-ups are keyboard-friendly.
Email and Newsletter

Email accessibility keeps your content inclusive across devices and inboxes.
- Use responsive templates that stay readable up to 200% zoom.
- Keep essential information in text, not images.
- Write subject lines that are short, descriptive, and easy for screen readers to interpret.
- Include a plain-text version of every email for those who need or prefer it.
Social Media

Accessibility on social media helps your message reach everyone—without changing your tone or style.
- Use CamelCase for hashtags (#AccessibleMarketing).
- Add alt text to images and captions to videos.
- Limit emoji use and place them at the end of sentences.
- Avoid stylized fonts that break accessibility tools.
Each platform has its nuances—alt text on Instagram, captions on TikTok, numbered threads on X (Twitter)—but the principle remains the same: good communication should never rely on one sense alone.

Designing for Comfort and Clarity

No matter where your campaigns live—web, email, or social—good design ties it all together.

Accessible design isn’t about restraint—it’s about intention. Every design choice shapes how someone experiences your message.
- Plain language makes ideas easier to follow without losing personality.
- Descriptive links replace uncertainty with confidence.
- Predictable structure creates a sense of ease and familiarity.
- Accessible visuals ensure infographics and charts aren’t barriers.
- Visible focus indicators and balanced contrast guide users naturally through the experience.
When accessibility becomes part of your creative language, the result feels more human—not less artistic.

Testing and Improving Accessibility

Accessibility testing is less about perfection and more about awareness. Run quick automated checks to catch common errors, then explore your content as your users would. Can you navigate without a mouse? Does the text hold up when zoomed in? Does the order make sense when read aloud?

Invite people with disabilities to test your work when possible. Their lived experiences surface the details that automation can’t. Over time, track metrics like caption coverage, alt text completion, and user feedback. Accessibility can be measured—and it can show real progress.

Keeping Accessibility in Motion

Accessibility isn’t a one-time effort. It’s a practice that builds momentum through consistency.
- Schedule quarterly accessibility reviews for your highest-traffic content.
- Include accessibility checkpoints in every project template.
- Offer short, focused training sessions across writing, design, and development teams.
- Ask vendors and partners to share their accessibility documentation and compliance statements.
When accessibility becomes a shared responsibility, it naturally integrates into the way your team works.

Measuring What Matters

You’ll know accessibility is working when the results start showing up in familiar metrics:
- Engagement improves as more users interact with your content.
- Visibility rises through better SEO and structured content.
- Trust strengthens because your brand feels more considerate and reliable.
- Risk decreases because accessibility is built in—not retrofitted later.
Accessibility in marketing doesn’t slow creativity—it sharpens it. It makes every campaign perform better because it’s built for everyone from the start.

Accessibility as Ongoing Momentum

Every caption written, every alt tag added, every clear headline or color contrast adjustment is a step toward a better experience for your audience.

When accessibility is built into your creative process, your marketing becomes more durable, adaptable, and human. It’s not a trend—it’s a reflection of what good communication has always been about: connecting with people in a way that feels effortless and authentic.

If you’re ready to take the next step, consider scheduling an ADA briefing with 216digital. Our team helps organizations identify accessibility barriers and plan remediation strategies that make their websites and marketing more usable for everyone.
Greg McNeil

October 16, 2025

How-to Guides

Accessibility, Digital Marketing, How-to, Marketing, Web Accessibility, Website Accessibility

How to Create Accessible Dialogs and Modals

You’ve probably clicked a button that suddenly stopped everything — a pop-up asking, “Are you sure?”Or maybe you’ve seen a small info box appear off to the side — helpful, but never in the way. Both are dialogs, designed to grab attention in different ways.

Used well, dialogs create clarity and focus. Used poorly, they interrupt, confuse, and make people feel stuck.

The HTML <dialog> element makes these patterns easier to build than ever before. But accessibility isn’t built into the code — it comes from the decisions you make around it. The choice between a modal and a non-modal dialog affects more than layout. It shapes how people experience trust, control, and flow within your interface.

This guide looks at when to use each and how to design accessible dialogs that feel natural, respectful, and human-centered — helping everyone move forward with confidence.

Modals vs. Dialogs: Key Differences and Use Cases

Every dialog creates a moment — a small pause in the user’s flow. Some moments need all of a person’s attention; others just need to offer quiet support in the background. The real skill lies in knowing which one your design calls for.

What’s the Difference?

A modal dialog asks users to stop what they’re doing and make a choice before continuing. When opened with showModal(), it locks focus inside and disables the rest of the interface. That’s not a flaw — it’s intentional. Modals are meant to protect important steps: confirming a deletion, submitting a form, or saving something that can’t be undone.

A non-modal dialog, opened with show(), works alongside the main content. It might appear as a sidebar, filter panel, or help window — something that adds clarity without breaking the user’s rhythm. The rest of the page stays usable, giving people control over how and when to engage.

Both patterns have value. The difference isn’t technical — it’s about the kind of experience you want to create. Modals demand attention. Non-modals share it.

When to Use Each

Modal Dialogs	Non-Modal Dialogs
Confirming destructive or irreversible actions	Providing optional settings or filters
Displaying critical warnings or alerts	Showing help text or guidance
Collecting essential information, like passwords or payments	Offering contextual tools that enhance workflow
Presenting legal or security confirmations	Sharing reference information while users continue working

Advantages and Drawbacks

Type	Advantages	Drawbacks
Modal Dialogs	• Keeps users focused on what matters most. • Prevents data loss or accidental actions. • Creates clear decision points. • Makes sure critical alerts are seen.	• Interrupts workflow and momentum. • Can frustrate or confuse if overused. • Requires careful focus handling for accessibility.
Non-Modal Dialogs	• Supports multitasking and flow. • Reduces cognitive strain by giving users control. • Feels less intrusive and more flexible.	• Important details might go unnoticed. • Not ideal for high-stakes actions. • Can clutter layouts if poorly managed.

Choosing the Right Type

When deciding between the two, ask yourself:

Does this moment need to stop the user, or simply guide them?

Use modals when you need someone to confirm, commit, or acknowledge something before moving on.
Choose non-modals when the goal is to assist or inform without interrupting their process.

Both serve accessibility — just in different ways. A well-timed modal can prevent errors. A well-designed non-modal can preserve flow. The goal isn’t to eliminate interruptions altogether, but to make every one of them intentional.

Accessible dialog design starts with empathy. Think about how people move through your interface — how they regain focus, how they understand what just appeared, and how much control they still have. When you build from that mindset, you’re not just meeting standards. You’re respecting your users’ attention, time, and agency.

Building Accessible Dialogs: From Code to Experience

Creating accessible dialogs isn’t about adding extra layers of code — it’s about protecting clarity and ease of use. The HTML <dialog> element already gives you a strong starting point. What you do next determines whether the experience feels effortless or confusing.

Start with Solid HTML

HTML gives you two built-in paths:

showModal() creates a modal dialog.
show() creates a non-modal dialog.

Both handle basic focus and background behavior automatically. From there, it’s all about refinement.

Always include a clear, labeled close button — and make sure it returns focus to the element that opened it.

<button id="close-dialog">Close</button>
<script>
  document.querySelector('#close-dialog')
    .addEventListener('click', () => myDialog.close());
</script>

It’s a small step, but it reinforces something bigger: giving users control — the foundation of every accessible experience.

Label Everything Clearly

Assistive technology depends on structure that makes sense. Every dialog should announce what it is, why it’s there, and how to leave it.

<dialog aria-labelledby="dialog-title" aria-describedby="dialog-desc">
  <h2 id="dialog-title">Confirm Action</h2>
  <p id="dialog-desc">This will permanently delete the record.</p>
</dialog>

If it’s an urgent message, add role="alertdialog" so screen readers read it immediately. Otherwise, keep the default role and double-check that:

The title and description are linked with aria-labelledby and aria-describedby.
The close button is labeled with text, not just an icon.
Focus moves logically when the dialog opens and closes.

When these pieces work together, the dialog doesn’t just appear — it communicates clearly, with purpose and respect.

Keep Focus on Track

Focus is where accessibility either shines or breaks.

When a dialog opens, the user’s focus should land directly inside it. When it closes, focus should return to the element that triggered it.

dialog.addEventListener('close', () => trigger.focus());

A few extra checks help keep that flow intact:

Tab and Shift+Tab should only move through active elements inside the dialog.
Escape should always close it.
Every interactive element should have a visible focus indicator.

If you’ve ever been trapped inside a modal with no way out, you already know why this matters. Freedom of movement — even within a small overlay — is core to accessibility.

Prevent Background Scrolling

When a modal appears, the world behind it should stay still.
Allowing the background to scroll while a dialog is open can disorient users, especially those relying on visual context or assistive technology.

A simple CSS rule can make all the difference:

body.modal-open {
  overflow: hidden;
}

Toggle that class when opening and closing the dialog. It’s a subtle fix that steadies the visual environment and prevents confusion — small detail, meaningful improvement.

Design for Visual Calm

Accessibility isn’t only technical — it’s visual. A dialog should direct attention, not demand it.

Use gentle layering, thoughtful contrast, and spacing that feels natural.

dialog::backdrop {
  background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.65);
}

Follow WCAG contrast guidelines:

4.5:1 for normal text
3:1 for large text

Soft shadows, calm edges, and balanced spacing help users focus on content without feeling overwhelmed. A well-designed dialog doesn’t shout — it invites. It says, “Look here, when you’re ready.”

That’s what visual accessibility feels like — respectful, intentional, and human.

Best Practices for Accessible Dialogs

Accessibility isn’t just about getting the mechanics right — it’s about how the experience feels. These best practices go beyond compliance to help you design accessible dialogs that feel considerate, consistent, and calm.

1. Keep Users Oriented

People should always know where they are. On larger screens, let a touch of the background remain visible so the dialog feels connected to the page. On mobile, a full-width layout often works better for readability and touch targets.

It’s about maintaining orientation — helping users feel connected to where they are, not suddenly somewhere else. When context stays visible, confidence follows.

2. Offer Multiple Ways Out

A good dialog respects autonomy. There should never be a sense of being trapped.

Include a clearly labeled “Close” button, let the Escape key work naturally, and if clicking outside dismisses the dialog, make sure screen readers announce that it closed.

The best dialogs don’t just let people leave — they make that exit easy to find, every time.

3. Use Restraint with Motion

Animation should support, not distract. Avoid heavy fades, blurs, or large shifts that feel like the page vanished.

A dialog should feel like a step forward, not a teleport. Subtle transitions — a soft fade or gentle scale — help users stay oriented and avoid triggering motion sensitivity.

If it feels smooth and steady, you’re doing it right.

4. Test Like a Real User

Once the dialog looks good, use it the way your audience will.

Try it with only a keyboard.
Run it with NVDA or VoiceOver.
Zoom in to 200% and see if anything disappears or becomes unreadable.

If something feels clunky or confusing, it is. Real testing turns assumptions into insight — and that’s where true accessibility takes shape.

5. Respect Timing and Intent

Never open modals automatically or stack several in a row. Give people time to think, act, and close things at their own pace.

Accessibility is as much about emotional comfort as it is about usability. Respecting timing and intent helps users feel calm and in control. That’s what good design does — it builds trust through patience.

Accessibility Beyond the Dialog

Dialogs and modals are moments of conversation between your site and your users. When they’re done right, they help people act confidently and stay in flow. When they’re not, they create friction and fatigue.

The best accessible dialogs are quiet — they guide without getting in the way. They respect focus, timing, and attention so users never have to think about accessibility; it’s already part of the experience.

At 216digital, we see accessibility as communication done right — designing in a way that includes everyone from the start. If your team is ready to move beyond checklists and create digital experiences that truly connect, schedule an ADA briefing with us today. Together, we’ll make accessibility a natural, lasting part of how your organization grows.

Greg McNeil

October 15, 2025

How-to Guides

Accessibility, accessible dialogs, How-to, web developers, web development

Can a Command Line Be Accessible by Design?
If you’ve spent any time in development, you know the command line is where things get real. It’s efficient, fast, and—let’s be honest—satisfying. That single blinking cursor has powered decades of progress. From deploying servers to pushing commits, the command line is still where we get work done.

But for all its simplicity, it isn’t always as accessible as it seems. Yes, it’s text-based. Yes, it’s keyboard-driven. Yet those strengths can be deceiving. For developers who rely on screen readers or braille displays, a CLI’s clean look can hide a mess of barriers: missing structure, unreadable tables, spinning animations that never speak.

Accessibility isn’t just a web problem—it’s a design principle. When a command line is an accessible CLI, it becomes what it’s always meant to be: a tool for everyone to build, create, and solve problems efficiently.

Why Accessibility Still Matters in the Command Line

A 2021 study by Google researchers Harini Sampath, Alice Merrick, and Andrew Macvean took a closer look at command-line accessibility for developers with visual impairments. What they found might surprise you: CLIs, for all their strengths, are far from friction-free.

Participants could technically complete tasks—but it took significantly more effort, time, and patience than expected. The issue wasn’t skill. It was design. CLIs are, by nature, streams of text with no built-in structure for assistive technology to interpret. There are no headings, no semantic anchors, no easy ways to navigate.

One developer summed it up perfectly: the CLI “works, but it’s tiring.” Most found themselves building workarounds—copying output into Notepad, exporting text to a browser, or writing custom scripts to make data readable.

And that’s really the heart of it: accessibility isn’t just about whether something can be used. It’s about whether it can be used well. That’s where building an accessible CLI from the start changes everything.

Where the Command Line Trips Up—and How to Fix It

The study’s findings highlight some clear patterns that every CLI developer can learn from. None of them require reinventing the wheel; they just ask for intention.

1. Structure Matters More Than You Think

We tend to think of text as automatically accessible—but not all text is equal. The command line outputs everything as flat strings. There’s no hierarchy, no markup, and no way for screen readers to interpret context.

Take man pages. They look structured, with headings and sections, but to a screen reader they’re just one long stream. Users can’t jump between sections or skim efficiently. Many developers in the study said they avoid man pages entirely and rely on web docs instead.

A simple solution? Offer structure where it’s missing:
- Provide HTML or Markdown versions of documentation.
- Add export options (--help-html, --manual-online).
- Allow users to format output as CSV or JSON for easy navigation.
A truly accessible CLI doesn’t stop at giving you data—it gives you data you can navigate.

2. Tables and Long Outputs Need Rethinking

Tables are a classic offender. They look organized, but they’re actually just rows of text spaced apart. For a screen reader, that structure disappears. Developers have to mentally map where each number belongs, remembering what every column represents.

That’s not accessibility—that’s endurance.

Better approaches include:
- A --flat or --no-table flag to simplify output.
- Options to export to structured formats (--output=csv, --output=json).
- Including clear, readable headers for every data point.
And for those endless command outputs? Let users redirect text to a file automatically (--export, --logfile, --view-html). Searching or filtering shouldn’t require stepping out of accessibility tools just to get the job done.

These simple changes turn a good CLI into a genuinely accessible CLI—one that respects how different users interact with information.

3. Feedback Should Be Informative—Not Decorative

Developers love a good spinner or progress bar. But when screen readers encounter those fancy progress indicators, they usually read something like “dot dot dot dot fail.”

In Google’s study, one developer said it best: “I could tell something was happening, but I didn’t know what.”

Instead of simulating motion, communicate progress with plain, descriptive text:

“Deploying container… 50% complete.”

“Success: VM created.”

And always give users an escape hatch: flags like --no-animation or --static-output keep feedback clean without slowing anyone down. A smart, accessible CLI never assumes sight is the only way to know something’s working.

4. Make Error Messages Clear and Human

If you’ve ever seen a CLI error filled with regex syntax, you can imagine how that sounds when read aloud: “left bracket A dash Z right bracket…”? Not exactly clear.

Error messages in the study were one of the most common frustrations. Developers spent hours debugging issues that could’ve been solved with one plain-language sentence.

Here’s the fix:
- Describe what happened, not just what failed.
- Offer actionable next steps.
- Keep symbols and regex out of default messages—reserve them for verbose or debug modes.
The goal isn’t to oversimplify; it’s to make sure the message is usable by everyone who reads—or hears—it.

Practical Guidelines for Designing an Accessible CLI

The study concludes with recommendations that align perfectly with inclusive design best practices.

Here’s how to apply them in your next CLI project:
1. Provide HTML versions of documentation: Treat --help and man outputs as summaries, not full references.
2. Let users export long outputs: Make it easy to redirect results to text, HTML, or CSV.
3. Document output structures: Explain what your CLI prints before users run it—help them form a mental model.
4. Make tables convertible: Offer ways to flatten or export tabular data for screen reader compatibility.
5. Always include progress and status updates: Never assume silence equals success.
6. Use progress indicators that read correctly: ASCII art may look fun, but it sounds like noise.
7. Write error messages that are understandable aloud: Avoid shorthand or syntax that doesn’t translate when spoken.
An accessible CLI isn’t a niche feature—it’s a sign of thoughtful engineering.

Start Where Developers Live: The CLI

Here’s the takeaway: accessibility isn’t a bonus; it’s good design. The same features that help someone using a screen reader—structured data, consistent output, clear feedback—help everyone who uses your tool. They make automation cleaner, logs easier to parse, and development faster.

Most importantly, they remove the unnecessary friction that holds good developers back.

At 216digital, we see accessibility as the foundation of quality, not the final coat of paint. Whether it’s your website, software, or CLI, inclusive design starts with asking a simple question: Can everyone use this the way it’s meant to be used?

If you’re building developer tools and want to make them as efficient as they are inclusive, schedule an ADA briefing with 216digital. We’ll help you test, refine, and design CLIs that truly work for everyone—from the first keystroke to the final command.
Greg McNeil

October 14, 2025

How-to Guides

Accessibility, accessible CLI, How-to, Web Accessibility, web developers, web development, Website Accessibility
Product Media Accessibility: Are You Doing It Right?
Visuals drive e-commerce—they shape how customers understand, compare, and connect with products. But for users relying on screen readers or other assistive technologies, those visuals only work when paired with accurate alt text and accessible labels. Without them, key product details disappear, leaving users unable to engage or buy.

Accessibility also drives measurable results. Research shows that 71% of users with disabilities leave sites that present barriers, while inclusive design reduces bounce rates and builds trust. Search engines benefit, too—HubSpot reported a 779% increase in image traffic after optimizing alt attributes. And with nearly 15% of the global population living with a disability, accessible images open your storefront to a wider audience that can browse and buy without friction.

When done well, accessibility becomes more than a technical fix—it’s a competitive advantage. It improves visibility, trust, and conversion, all while making your brand easier for everyone to experience.

This guide explores what that looks like in practice—how to make product media accessible, where teams most often slip, and how to integrate accessibility into your daily workflow.

What Makes a Product Media Accessible

High-quality product media isn’t just about presentation—it’s about communication. Every image should help shoppers understand your product, evaluate their options, and make confident decisions.

In accessible design, that means ensuring every photo, color variant, and product angle can be understood not only visually, but also through assistive technology.

Below are the key principles that make product media both effective and accessible.

1. Clear and Descriptive Alt Text

Alt text gives images meaning. Without it, assistive technologies have nothing to announce—and essential product details disappear. Descriptive alt text ensures that shoppers who rely on screen readers can access the same information as anyone else.

When written thoughtfully, alt text also supports SEO, helping search engines understand what’s being shown and improving how your products appear in image searches.

If you’re coding manually, add the alt attribute directly to your <img> tag:
```
<img src="example.jpg" alt="A description of the image">
```
Keep descriptions concise but specific, focusing on what’s visually relevant to the shopper.

For those using a CMS like Shopify, WordPress, or Magento, you can add this text in the Alt Text or Alt Description field during upload. Many platforms support bulk editing—an efficient way to replace missing or generic alt text and ensure consistency across your catalog.

When Product Media Need Alt Text (and When They Don’t)

Product photos are the foundation of any e-commerce experience. They convey material, color, and quality—all the details a shopper depends on. Because of that, almost every product media needs alt text.

The only exception is when an image adds no new visual information—for instance, when showing the same product from another angle without revealing new features or details.

Redundant Product Views

Multiple images of the same item are common: front, back, side, or top-down shots. These angles help sighted users but can become repetitive when read aloud by screen readers.

If each image shows the same product with no meaningful change, you can mark the duplicates as decorative with an empty alt attribute:
```
<img src="product-side.jpg" alt="">
```
This signals assistive technologies to skip the image without disrupting the experience. Just ensure that at least one image—usually the primary product photo—has full, descriptive alt text.

Does Your Image Need Alt Text?

If an image adds context or new information that could influence a shopper’s decision, it must have its own alt text.

Ask: Would this image help someone understand or evaluate the product differently? If so, describe it.

Examples include:
- Different colors or finishes:
  “Red ceramic table lamp with linen shade” vs. “Blue ceramic table lamp with linen shade.”
  Each variant should have distinct alt text.
- Unique features or components:
  If an image highlights stitching, a removable part, or a texture, mention it briefly.
- Lifestyle or context photos:
  When a photo shows the product in use—like a jacket being worn or a sofa in a living room—include that context to communicate scale and purpose.
- Images with embedded information:
  If an image includes text such as a sale banner, sizing chart, or label, that information must also appear in alt text or nearby HTML. Screen readers cannot interpret text embedded in images.
Writing Effective Alt Text

Good alt text is concise, factual, and written with purpose. It shouldn’t describe every detail—just what matters to understanding the product.

Best practices include:
- Keep descriptions under 125 characters when possible.
- Avoid phrases like “image of”—screen readers already announce it.
- Use specific, factual terms: “brushed,” “polished,” “textured,” “matte.”
- Mention what changes between images, such as angle or color.
- Adjust wording for context—a banner image may need different phrasing than a gallery thumbnail.
A consistent alt text style guide helps teams stay aligned, especially when managing large catalogs or working across departments.

2. Optimizing Product Media Formats for Accessibility

Accessibility also depends on clarity and performance. Large, slow-loading images can undermine user experience, particularly on mobile.

Use formats that balance quality and speed:
- WebP delivers high-quality visuals with efficient compression, improving load times.
- SVG is ideal for scalable graphics such as logos or icons, maintaining crispness on any screen size.
Fast, responsive images ensure your store remains usable across devices and assistive technologies alike.

3. Avoiding Text Embedded Within Images

If an image includes text—like promotional banners, product specs, or sale messages—screen readers can’t interpret it.

Keep all essential text in HTML or nearby captions.
If embedded text is unavoidable, repeat the information in the image’s alt text or elsewhere on the page so that it’s accessible to every shopper.

4. Maintaining Visual Clarity and Contrast

A clean, modern aesthetic is appealing—but not if it sacrifices visibility.

Low-contrast product photos (for instance, light gray items on a white background) can be difficult for users with low vision to see.

Maintain at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio between the product and its background. Adding subtle shadows, reflections, or gradient overlays can improve visibility without compromising your design aesthetic.

5. Labeling Interactive Product Media

Any clickable image or icon—such as a “zoom” button, “add to cart” symbol, or “view gallery” thumbnail—should have an accessible name or aria-label.

Describe the action, not the appearance:
- “Zoom product image”
- “Add to cart”
- “Open gallery view”
These small details help users navigate your site predictably and confidently, no matter how they interact with it.

Testing Tools and Workflow Integration

Accessibility isn’t a one-time audit—it’s an ongoing habit built into your development process.

Automated tools:
- WAVE and Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools identifies barriers and improvement tips for each image.
Manual checks:
- Test your pages with NVDA, VoiceOver, or JAWS to hear how descriptions are announced.
- Disable images in your browser and ensure text alternatives still convey essential information.
Workflow tip: Integrate accessibility validation into CI/CD pipelines. Use pre-commit hooks or CMS checks to block uploads missing alt attributes. Over time, this normalizes accessibility as part of the build process—not an afterthought.

Product Media That Speaks to Every Shopper

Accessible product media is about more than compliance—it’s about communication. Every shopper, regardless of ability, deserves the same opportunity to understand your products clearly and confidently.

From writing meaningful alt text to maintaining contrast and responsive performance, accessibility transforms static visuals into tools that inform, guide, and convert. It strengthens trust and creates smoother experiences across every device and interaction.

When your product media works for everyone, your brand stands out for the right reasons: clarity, quality, and care.

If you’re ready to assess your current approach or bring accessibility into your creative workflow, schedule an ADA briefing with 216digital. We’ll help you turn accessibility from a checklist into a lasting standard for digital craftsmanship.
Greg McNeil

October 13, 2025

How-to Guides

Accessibility, How-to, product media, WCAG, Web Accessibility, web developers, web development, Website Accessibility
What Is Visually Hidden Content—and Why Use It?
Every interface makes choices about what to show and what to leave unseen. Most of the time, that’s about layout or aesthetics—but it’s also about communication.

For users who rely on assistive technologies, much of that communication happens through structure, labels, and semantic relationships. When visual clarity comes at the cost of semantic clarity, accessibility starts to break down. A clean UI is great, but clarity for assistive technologies is non-negotiable. When we drop visible text in favor of icons or compact layouts, we still owe users the same meaning.

A practical answer is visually hidden content. It’s a technique for keeping information available to assistive tech—screen readers, braille displays, voice navigation—while keeping it out of visual view. Done well, it bridges the gap between a clean interface and a complete experience.

You’ve seen it everywhere:
- A magnifying glass icon that announces “Search.”
- A “Read more” link that includes the article title.
- A skip navigation link that quietly appears when tabbed into.
Each example keeps the design clean while preserving meaning for users who don’t navigate visually. It’s not a trick—it’s thoughtful design expressed through code.

When Hiding Breaks Accessibility

It’s tempting to reach for display: none or visibility: hidden. Both make an element disappear—but they also remove it from the accessibility tree. To a screen reader, that content no longer exists.

The same problem appears in older workarounds—moving elements off-screen with huge negative positioning or marking the wrong element with aria-hidden="true". They achieve visual cleanliness but erase meaning for assistive tools.

If the accessibility tree is a map of what users can explore, those declarations tear off a corner of it. The HTML remains, but users can’t reach it.

When something needs to be read, referenced, or focused, it must stay in the tree. The goal isn’t to hide it from everyone—it’s to make it visually invisible while still programmatically present.

A Modern, Reliable Pattern for Visually Hidden Content

Most modern teams rely on a single, standardized utility for this purpose. It’s simple, maintainable, and works across browsers and devices:
```
.visually-hidden {
  border: 0;
  clip-path: inset(50%);
  height: 1px;
  margin: 0;
  overflow: hidden;
  position: absolute;
  white-space: nowrap;
  width: 1px;
}
```
Each property plays a specific role:
- clip-path: inset(50%) hides the visible area.
- position: absolute removes it from the layout but not the accessibility tree.
- height and width shrink it to an imperceptible size.
- overflow: hidden ensures no text leaks visually.
- white-space: nowrap prevents wrapping or accidental exposure.
This approach replaced older hacks like clip: rect() or sending text off-screen with left: -9999px;. Those caused issues for magnifiers and high-zoom environments. The clip-path pattern is clean, modern, and predictable.

Use it with intention. Adding visually hidden content everywhere can overwhelm screen reader users. The best implementations give context—not clutter.

Making Focusable Elements Work for Everyone

Skip links, “Back to top” anchors, and similar utilities need to stay hidden until they’re actually used. If you apply .visually-hidden directly, keyboard users can focus the link but won’t see it—an invisible focus trap.

The solution is a focusable variant:
```
.visually-hidden-focusable:not(:focus):not(:active) {
  border: 0;
  clip-path: inset(50%);
  height: 1px;
  margin: 0;
  overflow: hidden;
  position: absolute;
  white-space: nowrap;
  width: 1px;
}
```
This keeps the element hidden until it receives focus. Once active, it becomes visible—making skip links discoverable without cluttering the design.

A few practical habits:
- Always provide a visible focus outline and clear contrast.
- Keep the revealed link’s position consistent (usually top-left).
- Use short, direct text—users should immediately understand its purpose.
This small adjustment is what makes keyboard navigation intuitive, discoverable, and consistent across accessible websites.

Visually Hidden or ARIA? Understanding the Difference

Developers sometimes treat these tools as interchangeable. They’re not; they work at different layers.

Use visually hidden content when you need real, localizable text in the DOM—context for links, helper hints, or dynamic status messages that assistive technologies should read naturally.

Use ARIA when you’re labeling or describing elements that are already visible:
- aria-label adds a brief text label.
- aria-labelledby points to a visible label.
- aria-describedby links to explanatory text or error messages.
- Live regions (role="status") announce dynamic changes.
Often, the best solution combines both. A decorative SVG can be marked aria-hidden="true", while a hidden text label provides a proper name. A form field can have a visible label and connect to hidden guidance via aria-describedby.

Knowing when to use which—sometimes both—is what turns compliance into genuine usability.

Writing Hidden Text That Adds Value

Hidden text should earn its place. It’s part of the user experience and deserves the same editorial care as visible copy.

A few best practices:
- Add what’s missing visually—don’t repeat what’s obvious.
- Keep it short and natural; users will hear it read aloud.
- Avoid filler or redundancy—screen readers already announce role and state.
- Localize it so it fits each supported language context.
When written thoughtfully, visually hidden content enhances understanding without adding noise. The best examples are invisible to some, indispensable to others.

Testing What You Can’t See

Accessibility isn’t a box to tick—it’s a conversation between your design and your users. Testing is where that conversation becomes real.

Here’s how to validate your implementation:
- Keyboard: Tab through the page. Ensure focus moves logically and stays visible.
- Screen readers: Use NVDA, VoiceOver, or JAWS to confirm that hidden text reads in context.
- Accessibility tree: Check DevTools to make sure hidden content remains part of the structure.
- Zoom and magnification: Scale up to 200% and confirm no visual artifacts appear.
Automation can’t tell you whether your content makes sense—but a quick, human pass will.

From Utility to System

Once you’ve validated your approach, make it part of your toolkit.
- Include .visually-hidden and .visually-hidden-focusable in your design system.
- Document their purpose, examples, and edge cases.
- Encourage teammates to review hidden content with the same care as visible UI text.
Frameworks like Tailwind’s sr-only class use this exact foundation. Aligning with established patterns makes your code predictable and your accessibility practices easier to scale.

This is how visually hidden content becomes part of your craft—not just a snippet you copy-paste.

The Invisible Work That Shapes Experience

A few quiet lines of CSS can completely change how people experience your site. Visually hidden content doesn’t alter what most users see, but it transforms what others can access, understand, and trust.

That’s what accessibility is really about—creating clarity that transcends sight. And that’s what good front-end work does at its best: it makes meaning visible, even when the code itself is unseen.

If you’re working through accessibility fixes or want a second set of eyes on remediation, consider scheduling an ADA briefing with 216digital. It’s a focused, collaborative session designed to help you identify barriers, prioritize what matters most, and move confidently toward compliance.
Greg McNeil

October 8, 2025

How-to Guides

Accessibility, How-to, visually hidden content, WCAG, Web Accessibility, web developers, web development

aria‑selected: Practical Guide for Interactive UI

Modern web applications thrive on interactivity. Tabs, listboxes, and data grids make complex tasks easier for sighted users—but without proper semantics, those same widgets can shut people out.

For example, a set of tabs may look visually distinct, but unless screen readers know which tab is currently selected, the component is unusable for blind users. Similarly, keyboard-only users can be stranded if selection isn’t tied to focus and navigation logic.

That’s where aria-selected comes in. This attribute bridges the gap between visual presentation and assistive technology, ensuring state changes are clearly communicated. In this guide, we’ll cover what aria-selected means, when to use it, real-world code examples, and best practices for building accessible interactions.

Decoding aria-selected

According to the WAI-ARIA specification, aria-selected communicates the selection state of an element in a widget. It doesn’t change visuals—it adds semantic meaning to the accessibility tree so assistive tech can interpret the UI correctly.

Values Explained

true → This item is selected.
false → This item is selectable but not selected.
(Absence) → This item isn’t selectable at all.

Tip: Roles that support aria-selected include: tab, option, row, gridcell, and treeitem. Use it only where a “selected” state makes sense.

aria-selected vs. Other Attributes

It’s easy to confuse aria-selected with other ARIA attributes. Here’s how to know when you’re using the right one:

Attribute	Primary Purpose	Typical Components
aria-selected	Indicates which item is currently chosen	Tabs, listboxes, grids, tables
aria-checked	Binary on/off state	Checkboxes, radios
aria-pressed	Toggle button active state	Toolbar buttons
aria-current	Denotes user’s current location	Nav links, breadcrumbs

Practical Use Cases & Code

Tabs

Tabs are a classic single-select widget. Only one tab can be selected at a time.

<div role="tablist" aria-label="Profile sections">
  <button id="tab-overview" role="tab" aria-selected="true"
          aria-controls="panel-overview">Overview</button>
  <button id="tab-settings" role="tab" aria-selected="false"
          aria-controls="panel-settings">Settings</button>
</div>

<div id="panel-overview" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="tab-overview">
  <!-- Overview content -->
</div>
<div id="panel-settings" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="tab-settings" hidden>
  <!-- Settings content -->
</div>

Implementation Notes

On click, Enter, or Space: update aria-selected, swap focus, and show the panel.
Keyboard navigation: Left/Right (or Up/Down for vertical), Home/End for quick jumps.

Listbox (Multi-Select)

Listboxes can be single- or multi-select. Here’s a multi-select version:

<ul role="listbox" aria-label="Choose toppings"
    aria-multiselectable="true" tabindex="0"
    aria-activedescendant="opt-pepperoni">
  <li id="opt-pepperoni" role="option" aria-selected="true">Pepperoni</li>
  <li id="opt-mushroom"  role="option" aria-selected="false">Mushrooms</li>
  <li id="opt-olive"     role="option" aria-selected="false">Olives</li>
</ul>

Interaction Details

Arrow keys move focus; aria-activedescendant updates to track the active item.
Space toggles selection state.
Ctrl/Shift + Arrow supports range selection like desktop apps.

Grids / Spreadsheets

Grids allow row and cell-level navigation. They’re common in dashboards and spreadsheets.

<div role="grid" aria-label="Sales records" aria-activedescendant="cell-1-2">
  <div role="row">
    <div role="columnheader" aria-colindex="1">Date</div>
    <div role="columnheader" aria-colindex="2">Sales</div>
  </div>

  <div role="row" aria-rowindex="1">
    <div id="cell-1-1" role="gridcell" aria-colindex="1" aria-selected="false">Jan</div>
    <div id="cell-1-2" role="gridcell" aria-colindex="2" aria-selected="true">5 000</div>
  </div>
  <div role="row" aria-rowindex="2">
    <div id="cell-2-1" role="gridcell" aria-colindex="1" aria-selected="false">Feb</div>
    <div id="cell-2-2" role="gridcell" aria-colindex="2" aria-selected="false">4 200</div>
  </div>
</div>

JavaScript Must Handle

Arrow keys move focus across cells and sync aria-activedescendant.
Space/Enter toggles aria-selected.
Optional: persist state (e.g., in localStorage) to remember selections.

Best Practices for aria-selected

Focus Management

In single-select widgets: focus stays inside, arrow keys update selection.
In multi-select widgets: focus moves independently, Space/Enter toggles states.
Always update aria-activedescendant dynamically.

Visual Feedback Beyond Color

Don’t rely on color alone. Use icons, bold text, or borders.
WCAG 2.2 requires at least 3:1 contrast for selected/focus states.

Keyboard Navigation

Tabs: Arrow keys, Home/End, Enter/Space to activate.
Listbox/Grid: Arrow keys plus Space/Enter (and Ctrl/Shift combos for multi-select).
Optional: Escape to clear selection or exit.

Testing Your Implementation

Accessibility doesn’t stop at code—it must be validated.

Screen reader testing: NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver should announce selection changes correctly.
Keyboard walkthroughs: Confirm focus order and selection behavior.
Automated checks: Useful for catching missing attributes, but always supplement with manual testing.

Bonus Patterns

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, aria-selected can also power:

ARIA Trees: File explorer-like navigation.
Carousels: Tabs-like controls for slide navigation.
Email-style panels: Combining aria-selected with aria-multiselectable for Gmail-style selection logic.

Build with Inclusion from the Start

The aria-selected attribute may seem small, but it represents a bigger principle: creating interfaces where everyone can interact equally.

Accessibility is about thoughtful interaction design, not just compliance checklists. By implementing aria-selected correctly, you close the gap between a slick UI and one that’s truly inclusive.

Don’t wait until launch—or worse, until a lawsuit—to think about accessibility. Build it in from the beginning, and both your users and your future self will thank you.

Want clarity on how your site measures up or how to improve implementation? Schedule a private ADA briefing with 216digital and get expert insight on real-world accessibility practices.

Greg McNeil

September 29, 2025

How-to Guides, Uncategorized

Accessibility, ARIA, aria-selected, web developers, web development, Website Accessibility

Deck the Sales with Accessible Holiday Marketing
Every holiday season, online retailers face the same challenge: how to keep up with surging traffic without losing customers to friction. Between November and December, nearly one-fifth of all retail sales happen online—meaning even the smallest accessibility barriers—an unreadable button, a missing label, a poorly designed modal—can quietly chip away at revenue.

But there’s more at stake than missed sales. Accessibility now sits at the intersection of ethics, law, and business strategy. Making your digital experiences usable for everyone isn’t just compliance—it’s a mark of respect for your customers and a driver of measurable growth.

Accessible holiday marketing is how smart teams turn inclusion into performance. It creates digital spaces that welcome all shoppers, reduce drop-offs, and reinforce brand trust at the busiest—and most competitive—time of year. Think of it as rolling out a digital welcome mat, trimmed in garland, for every customer who stops by your virtual store.

Accessibility: An Ethical Imperative and a Business Advantage

Accessibility began as an ethical conversation about fairness and inclusion. Today, it’s also a legal and financial necessity.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related global laws, websites are expected to provide equal access to all users. The Department of Justice has affirmed that digital properties—especially those tied to commerce—fall under these requirements. Noncompliance can lead to lawsuits, settlements, and, more importantly, reputational damage that no brand wants under its tree.

Yet beyond risk, the business upside is clear. One in four U.S. adults reports living with a disability, representing a purchasing power that exceeds $1 trillion globally. Accessibility doesn’t shrink your audience—it expands it.

And 80% of consumers say a company’s experience matters as much as its products. In that sense, accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the smarter way to compete. During the holidays, it’s also the easiest way to make sure no shopper gets left out in the cold.

Where to Start: Building an Accessible Holiday Marketing Framework

Accessibility shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought in the rush to wrap up year-end campaigns. Instead, build it into your existing production cycle. Here’s how to start unwrapping quick wins.

Step 1: Define What Success Looks Like

Don’t bolt accessibility on at the end. Bake accessible holiday marketing into the same workflow you use for performance and SEO.
- Checkout completion rates: If shoppers abandon forms mid-purchase, that’s a red flag. Accessibility gaps here are like dropping presents halfway up the chimney.
- Cart error rates: – Test both keyboard and screen reader sessions. If errors spike, navigation might need a tune-up.
- Promo email click-throughs: Compare results with images off. If engagement plummets, you’re leaning too heavily on visuals.
- Video completion rates: Captioned videos often earn longer watch times, proof that accessibility can shine brighter than any seasonal campaign light.
Assign an owner for each KPI and add an accessibility review before code freeze—because nothing ruins the holiday rush like last-minute fixes.

Step 2: Reduce Friction in the Core Shopping Flows

The most impactful changes often live in the most familiar places: product discovery, product pages, and checkout.

Product Discovery
- Keyboard navigation: Every filter, dropdown, and toggle should be usable without a mouse. No one wants to wrestle with a website like tangled lights.
- Visible focus states: Highlight where users are on the page with clear outlines—think of it as a guiding star through your interface.
- Logical tab order: Keep navigation smooth and intuitive; users shouldn’t feel like they’re lost in the wrapping paper.
- Clear labeling: Add ARIA labels and visible names to controls so everyone knows what each button does.
Good navigation is like a perfectly organized gift list—clear, predictable, and satisfying to check off.

Product Pages
- Descriptive alt text: Replace “red shirt” with “close-up of red cotton t-shirt with crew neckline.” Paint a picture worth a thousand words—and conversions.
- Text-based selectors: Pair swatches with visible text for color and size. Don’t make users guess whether “cranberry” means red or pink.
- Live region announcements: Notify assistive technologies when stock, price, or promotions change. No one likes a surprise sellout mid-cart.
Clarity here means fewer returns—and happier unboxings.

Checkout

Checkout is where good design proves its worth.
- Label everything clearly: Every field should say exactly what it wants — “Email address,” “Zip code,” not “Field 1.” When users can fill out a form without guessing, they finish faster.
- Put errors where they happen: If someone types their card number wrong, the message should appear right there, not two scrolls away. Nobody wants to play “Where’s Waldo?” in the middle of a purchase.
- Skip the impossible CAPTCHA: If you must verify humans, use a simple checkbox or a one-line logic question.
- Keep focus steady: When a payment pop-up opens, the cursor shouldn’t vanish. Trap focus inside the modal and return users to the right spot when it closes.
- Do a keyboard-only run-through: It takes five minutes. If you can buy something with just the Tab key, you’re in good shape.
It’s not glamorous work, but it’s what turns a holiday shopper into a paying customer.

Step 3: Design an Accessible Holiday Marketing Campaign

Color, Contrast, and Motion
- Contrast ratios: Keep text clear—even against festive reds, greens, or snowy whites. 4.5:1 is the magic number.
- Motion reduction: Add a “pause animation” option for sparkling banners or falling snow. Not everyone enjoys a blizzard of motion.
- Test on multiple screens: Preview your site in bright daylight or cozy lamplight—holiday shoppers browse everywhere.
Accessibility ensures your creativity glows without overwhelming.

Email Accessibility Best Practices

Holiday emails do a lot of heavy lifting, so make them easy to read even when half the inbox blocks your images.
- Use real text for the important stuff. If your subject line says “50% Off,” that shouldn’t vanish the moment images are turned off.
- Write links that make sense out of context. “Unwrap Today’s Deals” works better than “Click here” — and it keeps your brand voice intact.
- Keep the structure simple. Short paragraphs, real headings, and logical flow help screen readers — and people reading on their phones at the kitchen table.
- Underline your links. It’s not old-fashioned; it’s functional. Some users can’t rely on color alone to spot a link.
Think of your holiday campaign like a greeting card — clean, clear, and worth opening.

Video and Social Content
- Closed captions: Accurate, human-checked captions help everyone follow along, from office multitaskers to late-night shoppers.
- Transcripts: Perfect for anyone scrolling during family movie night with the volume low.
- Hashtags and emojis: Use camel case (#MerryAndBright) and keep emojis at the end of posts.
- Alt text: Describe visuals on social posts so every viewer can feel part of the moment.
Small accessibility touches here make your brand feel thoughtful—like that handwritten tag on a gift.

Step 4: Test Early and Often

Automated Checks
- Integrate tools: Add accessibility scans to your CI/CD pipeline so errors get fixed faster than you can say “ugly sweater.”
- Catch recurring issues: Run tests regularly to stop regressions before launch.
- Treat failures seriously: Missing alt text should be a showstopper, not a “we’ll fix it next year.”
Manual Spot Checks
- Keyboard audits: Tab through product → cart → checkout. If you can’t complete it, neither can Santa’s helpers.
- Screen reader reviews: Listen to how your site reads aloud—clarity here is worth its weight in gold tinsel.
- Record findings: Short video clips make debugging faster than long lists of notes.
Pre-Launch Governance
- Accessibility sign-off: Make it part of your “naughty or nice” launch checklist.
- Track waivers: If something’s postponed, record a fix date to stay accountable.
- Align with performance metrics: Accessibility deserves a seat at the same table as SEO and load time.
Step 5: Expand Accessibility Across the Journey

Accessibility shouldn’t stop at checkout—it should carry through every touchpoint.

Landing Pages and Paid Ads
- Avoid autoplay: Let users control media playback; not everyone wants surprise carols.
- Write clear CTAs: Use straightforward text like “Explore Holiday Offers” instead of “Learn More.”
- Add multiple cues: Combine color, text, and icons so everyone can understand your visuals.
- Keep it fast: Optimize load times. Accessibility and speed go hand in hand.
Retention and Loyalty
- Organize gift guides: Use clear headings and a logical structure for quick navigation.
- Make wishlists keyboard-friendly: Ensure “Add to Wishlist” works with both mouse and keyboard.
- Announce updates: When something’s back in stock, let assistive tech announce it too.
Accessible holiday marketing builds trust—and trust keeps customers coming back long after the decorations come down.

Step 6: Equip Customer Support to Handle Accessibility
- Multiple contact options: Offer phone, chat, and email—because not everyone writes letters to the North Pole.
- Accessible chat tools: Check focus order and make sure screen readers can announce new messages.
- Transparent status: Display service hours and response times to prevent frustration.
- Proactive communication: Post banners if known issues exist, and provide alternative paths to complete purchases.
- Train support teams: Teach staff how to gather details about accessibility problems. The more context they collect, the faster fixes arrive.
Support should feel like a helping hand, not a closed door.

Step 7: Measure, Learn, Improve
- Segment analytics: Compare behavior by input method—keyboard, mouse, or touch—to spot friction points.
- Correlate updates: Link accessibility fixes to conversion data; seeing the lift is like watching sales lights twinkle in real time.
- Weekly check-ins: A 15-minute accessibility stand-up keeps everyone aligned during peak traffic.
- Post-season reflection: Capture what worked and what needs improvement before the next holiday rush.
Accessibility improvement is the one gift that keeps on giving.

Quick-Start Accessible Holiday MarketingChecklist

This Week
- Tab-test PDP → Cart → Checkout to ensure a clear path to purchase.
- Update alt text for the top 100 SKUs with product details and purpose.
- Caption all holiday videos—think of it as wrapping each message neatly.
This Month
- Automate accessibility scans so no error sneaks into the new year.
- Refine email templates with an accessible, mobile-friendly design.
- Test campaigns with images off—your message should still shine.
Before Code Freeze
- Perform a manual screen reader review of top pages.
- Publish an accessibility contact channel so feedback doesn’t get lost in the snow.
From Cart to Claus: Keeping Every Shopper Included

Accessibility has moral weight—it ensures equal participation in the digital marketplace. It has legal weight—it aligns with ADA and WCAG standards. And it has business weight—it strengthens loyalty, protects brand trust, and captures a broader audience.

Accessible holiday marketing ties all three together like a perfectly wrapped gift. It makes the web fairer, the experience smoother, and the business stronger.

For teams wanting to check their list twice, an ADA briefing with 216digital helps identify high-ROI accessibility improvements before peak traffic. Our experts help teams unwrap the quick wins—and keep the momentum into the new year.

After all, inclusion isn’t just a seasonal sentiment—it’s how lasting customer relationships begin.
Greg McNeil

September 26, 2025

Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, How-to Guides

Accessibility, Digital Marketing, How-to, Marketing, Web Accessibility, Website Accessibility

Start with a Strong Foundation

Make Links and Buttons Clear and Consistent

Communicate Without Relying on Vision

Keep Tables Simple and Purposeful

Prioritize Readability in Typography and Contrast

Reduce Friction with URLs and Attachments

Test as a Natural Part of Your Process

Email Accessibility: The Message Everyone Can Read

The Anatomy of an Accordion

Keyboard Navigation: Where Real Accessibility Begins

Semantic HTML: Let Meaning Do the Heavy Lifting

Getting ARIA Right

Native vs. Custom: Choosing the Right Path

Putting It All Together

Testing What You’ve Built

Manual Testing

Screen Reader Testing

Automated Tools

Keep Expanding Accessibility

When Icons Don’t Tell the Whole Story

When ARIA Does More Harm Than Good

When Submenus Don’t Communicate Clearly

When Focus Bleeds Through the Overlay

When Hover-Only Menus Leave Users Behind

When Small Targets Cause Big Frustrations

When Users Can’t Find Their Bearings

Building Navigation That Truly Guides

Why Accessibility Belongs in Your Marketing Roadmap

The Business Case for Accessibility

The Risk of Leaving Accessibility Out

Building Accessibility into Your Marketing Workflow

Start Early

Create Together

Test Before Launch

Where Accessibility in Marketing Matters Most

Website

Email and Newsletter

Social Media

Designing for Comfort and Clarity

Testing and Improving Accessibility

Keeping Accessibility in Motion

Measuring What Matters

Accessibility as Ongoing Momentum

Modals vs. Dialogs: Key Differences and Use Cases

What’s the Difference?

When to Use Each

Advantages and Drawbacks

Choosing the Right Type

Building Accessible Dialogs: From Code to Experience

Start with Solid HTML

Label Everything Clearly

Keep Focus on Track

Prevent Background Scrolling

Design for Visual Calm

Best Practices for Accessible Dialogs

1. Keep Users Oriented

2. Offer Multiple Ways Out

3. Use Restraint with Motion

4. Test Like a Real User

5. Respect Timing and Intent

Accessibility Beyond the Dialog

Why Accessibility Still Matters in the Command Line

Where the Command Line Trips Up—and How to Fix It

1. Structure Matters More Than You Think

2. Tables and Long Outputs Need Rethinking

3. Feedback Should Be Informative—Not Decorative

4. Make Error Messages Clear and Human

Practical Guidelines for Designing an Accessible CLI

Start Where Developers Live: The CLI

What Makes a Product Media Accessible

1. Clear and Descriptive Alt Text

When Product Media Need Alt Text (and When They Don’t)

Redundant Product Views

Does Your Image Need Alt Text?

Writing Effective Alt Text

2. Optimizing Product Media Formats for Accessibility

3. Avoiding Text Embedded Within Images

4. Maintaining Visual Clarity and Contrast

5. Labeling Interactive Product Media

Testing Tools and Workflow Integration