Building for Everyone: Migrating to Accessibility Compliance

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Introduction

In today’s digital world, accessibility is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. As developers, designers, and product owners, we bear the responsibility of ensuring that our applications are accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. Migrating an existing application to meet accessibility standards can seem daunting, especially if accessibility wasn’t considered from the start. However, this transformation is not only possible—it’s essential. In this article, we’ll explore the journey of converting a regular application into an accessible one, the challenges encountered along the way, and the practical steps you can take to ensure your application complies with accessibility guidelines like WCAG. Because when we build for everyone, we build better.

Understanding the Standards

WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)

WCAG 2.1 is the current globally accepted standard for web accessibility, published by the W3C. It is organized under four main principles—POUR:

  • Perceivable – Information and UI components must be presented in ways users can perceive (e.g., support for screen readers, text alternatives for images).
  • Operable – Interface components must be operable by all users (e.g., full keyboard navigation, no keyboard traps).
  • Understandable – Content must be readable, and UI must behave predictably (e.g., consistent navigation, readable language).
  • Robust – Content must be robust enough to work with current and future assistive technologies (e.g., valid HTML, ARIA roles used correctly).

Each principle breaks down into testable success criteria, grouped into three levels:

  • A (minimum)
  • AA (recommended, widely used benchmark)
  • AAA (enhanced accessibility)

For example, “All images must have meaningful alt text” is a Level A criterion, while “Color contrast must meet minimum ratios” is Level AA.

WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative – Accessible Rich Internet Applications)

ARIA is a specification that helps enhance accessibility in dynamic web applications where semantic HTML alone isn’t sufficient. It introduces roles, states, and properties that describe UI elements to assistive technologies.

Examples:

  • role=“button” on a div that behaves like a button.
  • aria-expanded=“true” to indicate the state of an expandable menu.
  • aria-labelledby to connect an element with a label defined elsewhere.

However, ARIA should be used sparingly—only when native HTML elements can’t achieve the desired behavior. Misusing ARIA can confuse screen readers and reduce accessibility rather than improve it.

Other Key Accessibility Concepts

  1. Semantic HTML First: Always prefer native HTML elements that convey meaning and interactivity out of the box:

    • Use <button>, not <div role="button">
    • Use properly with form controls
    • Use heading levels (<h1> to <h6>) logically for screen reader navigationSemantic HTML is your first and best accessibility tool.

  2. Keyboard Navigation: An accessible application should be fully operable using a keyboard. This includes:

    • Tab order that follows a logical sequence
    • Visible focus indicators (never remove outline without a visible alternative)
    • Skip links to jump to main content
    • Handling for Enter and Space keys on interactive elements

  3. Color and Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast between foreground and background elements. According to WCAG 2.1:

    • Normal text: minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1
    • Large text (18px or 14px bold): minimum 3:1Avoid using color as the only means of conveying information (e.g., red text for errors—use icons or labels too).

  4. Screen Reader Support: Make sure your app works with screen readers by:

    • Providing text alternatives (alt, aria-label)
    • Using proper document structure (<main>, <nav>, <aside>, etc.)
    • Handling dynamic content updates with aria-live regions when necessaryTest your changes with tools like NVDA, VoiceOver, or JAWS.

  5. Accessible Forms: Form controls should be:

    • Properly labeled (with label or aria-label)
    • Grouped logically (using fieldset and legend for radio buttons and checkboxes)
    • Clear in their error states (with aria-invalid, aria-describedby, and visual cues)Also, include accessible validation feedback and avoid using placeholder-only labeling.

Tools used to check the accessibility

1. :tokyo_tower: Lighthouse by Google: Auditing Accessibility & Performance:

Lighthouse is an open-source, automated tool by Google for auditing the quality of web pages. It’s built into Chrome DevTools and can also be run via the command line or as a Node module.

It provides audits in five key areas:

  • Performance
  • Accessibility
  • Best Practices
  • SEO
  • Progressive Web App (PWA)

2. :ocean: WAVE Evaluation Tool (by WebAIM):

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) is a browser extension and online tool developed by WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind). It helps developers and designers identify accessibility issues directly on a live webpage.

Unlike axe or Lighthouse, which are more code/DOM-focused, WAVE provides a visual overlay, making it easier to understand how accessibility issues appear in the UI.

Key Features:

  • Visual FeedbackWAVE overlays icons and indicators on the actual page content to show:
    • Errors (e.g., missing alt attributes)
    • Alerts (e.g., redundant links)
    • Features (e.g., ARIA landmarks)
    • Structural elements (e.g., headings, labels)
  • Accessibility Details Panel
    • Shows all issues in a categorized list:
    • Errors – Definite accessibility issues
    • Contrast errors – Insufficient color contrast
    • Alerts – Potential accessibility concerns
    • Features – Detected accessibility enhancements (e.g., ARIA roles)
    • Structural elements – Page hierarchy, like heading order
    • ARIA – Usage of roles, labels, states
    • Clicking each icon or item highlights the issue on the page.
  • Color Contrast Checker
    • Tests foreground/background color combinations
    • Displays contrast ratio and whether it passes WCAG 2.1 (AA or AAA) standards
  • Code Snippet View
    • Shows the relevant HTML snippet for each issue to help developers locate and fix the problem quickly

Using MaxAccess for our Application

MaxAccess is an AI-powered accessibility tool developed by Online ADA, designed to automatically and efficiently improve website accessibility. It helps organizations meet legal compliance standards like the ADA, Section 508, and WCAG 2.1 without having to overhaul their existing codebase.

To know more: Max Access

Purpose of MaxAccess

The goal of MaxAccess is to:

  • Enhance web accessibility for users with disabilities
  • Provide customizable accessibility widgets (text size, contrast, keyboard nav, etc.)
  • Automatically detect and fix common accessibility issues using machine learning
  • Support ongoing ADA compliance without constant manual effort

Why MaxAccess Matters for ADA Compliance

Under the ADA Title III, websites that serve the public are expected to be accessible to users with disabilities. While the ADA doesn’t define technical standards, courts often refer to WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the benchmark.

MaxAccess assists by:

  • Reducing the risk of lawsuits or demand letters
  • Improving user experience for screen readers, keyboard, and low-vision users
  • Providing quick wins while long-term manual fixes are in progress

How MaxAccess Works

  1. Script Integration:

    • You add a single JavaScript snippet to your website, usually placed in the or just before the closing tag.

  2. Adding necessary fonts:

    • Include the fonts in the and also in the Tailwind configuration (if applicable).

  3. AI Scanning & Fixing:

    • The MaxAccess engine continuously scans your website for accessibility issues.
    • It applies overlay fixes, such as:
      • Keyboard navigation enhancements
      • Alternative text for images
      • ARIA labels for screen readers
      • Font and color adjustments

  4. User-Facing Accessibility Toolbar:

    • A small accessibility widget appears on the site, enabling users to:

      • Adjust font sizes
      • Change contrast
      • Highlight links
      • Navigate with keyboard
      • Enable screen reader optimizations

  5. Compliance Reporting:

    • MaxAccess generates reports detailing the improvements and current accessibility state.
    • These reports help organizations demonstrate good-faith efforts toward compliance.

Contributors

  1. Pooja A Shetty (@poojashetty )
  2. Sushmitha J (@SUSHMITHA_J)

Application Demo

Accessibility compliant application

Conclusion

Migrating to accessibility compliance is a journey, not a checkbox. By aligning with standards like WCAG 2.1, using ARIA only when necessary, and adopting inclusive development practices, we can build applications that serve everyone. Accessibility is not just about supporting people with disabilities; it’s about improving usability, quality, and inclusivity for all users.
As we continue evolving our development practices, accessibility will remain a core pillar, not an afterthought.

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