HOW SEMANTICS AND ARIA ATTRIBUTES SUPPORT ACCESSIBLE DESIGN

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

Accessibility issues stem from missing semantic meaning rather than visual problems, as elements may look correct but fail to communicate their purpose to assistive technologies. Proper semantics using HTML elements, consistent ARIA design patterns, and appropriate attributes work together to create interfaces that screen readers and keyboard users can navigate effectively. Comprehensive accessibility audits must test beyond visual appearance to ensure semantic roles match user expectations and that interactive elements behave predictably for all users.