A LIST Apart: For People Who Make Websites

No. 319

November 30, 2010

Web apps, WAI-ARIA, JavaScript, and accessibility.

ARIA and Progressive Enhancement

For seven years, progressive enhancement has been how we build sustainable, interoperable, and accessible web solutions. Now that the release of ARIA is approaching, let’s see how ARIA fits within progressive enhancement strategy. Can we use ARIA in a way that respects progressive enhancement? Can we use ARIA in ways that ensure we have a working solution at every level?

The Accessibility of WAI-ARIA

Web developers interested in accessibility issues often look to WAI-ARIA to bridge the accessibility gap created by ubiquitous scripting and make web applications more accessible to blind and visually impaired users. But can we recommend WAI-ARIA without reservation? Are there times when appropriate semantic HTML elements are preferable to custom widgets?

Editor’s Choice

originally ran: November 4, 2008

Progressive Enhancement with JavaScript

Our introductory series on progressive enhancement and the ways it can be implemented concludes with a look at the mindset needed to implement PE in JavaScript, and a survey of best practices for doing so.