Is it still early to study the attributes ARIA?

Question

I saw the specs "ARIA" 1.0 (https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria/) and those (vers. 1.1) that are going to be released soon (https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-1.1/).

But I have also seen that the documentation is -imho- sparse and fragmented, so ​​hard to find and to understand.

For a normal person (i.e. for a developer who has no real and immediate need to write code accessible for people with disabilities), is it still early to study the attributes ARIA for the first time?

For example caniuse.com only deals "normal" web browsers (http://caniuse.com/#search=role): how do I know if and how the attributes ARIA are supported by screen readers and other assistive devices?

Answer 1

Whether or not you think you have a need to write code for people with disabilities, statistics, good UX practices, the law, and universal design all suggest that, in fact you do need to write code to support people of assorted abilities. I encourage you to look at the Inclusive Design Manual (21MB PDF) that Microsoft created as it shows how we all encounter temporary and situational disabilities.

Also note that screen readers run on top of "normal" web browsers (to borrow your term), and right now screen readers are the only technology today that rely on ARIA.

Now, for your ARIA question...

For straightforward web pages that are primarily static content (your typical WordPress site, for example), you probably will not need ARIA. Using HTML properly and including structure is usually more than enough for users.

If you are building web-based applications or novel interactions (using a framework like React or Angular), then you will need to start using ARIA (though some bits are built into some frameworks and libraries already).

Some places you can start:

• Mozilla Developer Network on ARIA: covers a lot of high level stuff and digs deeper as you go.
• WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices: walks through different user interface patterns and how to apply ARIA and any necessary scripting enhancements.
• Notes on ARIA use in HTML: these are the 5 "rules" of using ARIA
  1. If you can use a native HTML element or attribute with the semantics and behaviour you require already built in, instead of re-purposing an element and adding an ARIA role, state or property to make it accessible, then do so.
  2. Do not change native semantics, unless you really have to.
  3. All interactive ARIA controls must be usable with the keyboard.
  4. Do not use role="presentation" or aria-hidden="true" on a visible focusable element.
  5. All interactive elements must have an accessible name.
• WAI-ARIA Screen reader compatibility: a pretty exhaustive list of what is supported.

That should be enough to get your primed, or at least familiar.

I also recommend you install a screen reader (NVDA is free, Narrator is built into Windows, VoiceOver is part of iOS and macOS) and take them for a spin. There are places online that can help you get going.