A11y is a short way of writing the word “accessibility.” The 11 stands for the eleven letters between “a” and “y” in the word. In web development, accessibility means making websites and apps usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.

Why Accessibility Matters

More than 1 billion people (about 15% of the world’s population) have some type of disability (source). In the U.S.,1 in 4 adults has a disability (source).

Accessibility is not only important, but often required by law. In the U.S., laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act set standards for digital accessibility.

Key Accessibility Concepts

• Skip to Main Content: Add a link at the top so users can skip navigation and go straight to content.

• Color Contrast: Use enough contrast between text and background so people with low vision can read easily.

• ARIA Labels: Help screen readers by using ARIA attributes to give extra information about elements.

• Keyboard Navigation: Make sure your site works with only a keyboard.

• Alt Text: Describe images so screen readers can explain them.

• Forms: Use clear labels and instructions so anyone can fill out forms.

Testing Accessibility

You can check accessibility with:

• Google Lighthouse: Built into Chrome DevTools.

• PageSpeed Insights: Tests basic accessibility.

• WAVE by WebAIM: wave.webaim.org

• axe Chrome extension: extension

Benefits of Accessibility

• Making your website accessible:

• Increases your potential users.

• Helps you stand out from competitors.

• Supports people using keyboards and other assistive devices.

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