This is a redress of my 2019 post Link + Disclosure Widget Navigation, except (as the title implies), I’ve modified it to use native HTML popovers instead of ARIA or HTML disclosure widgets. Popover has the benefit of using appropriate HTML structure and semantics while removing the need for scripting…
I ran across a survey from Tilburg University on the experiences and perspectives of image describers. It asked what process I follow to write image alternative text, and it occurred to me that I don’t use a checklist or guideline anymore. That may or may not be a good thing,…
The world wide web has officially lasted 35 consecutive years, which means it’s catching up to its parent, the Internet, which itself is bearing down on 55. That’s an important distinction. The Internet is not the web; it is the foundation on which the web was born. Prior Years For…
It seems everybody who dabbles in digital accessibility is blogging about WCAG 2.2 now that it finally went live. This is my obligatory post, but I am not promoting it because there is already so much noise and much of the content is regurgitated. If you are not aware, WCAG…
I use the CSS :has() pseudo-class to provide an interactive alt text decision tree (from the W3C WAI Tutorial) that uses no script. It is progressively enhanced, so browsers without support for :has() still get all the content. See my post Under-Engineered Dependency Questions if you want my argument why…
There is a non-zero chance that WCAG Success Criterion 4.1.1 Parsing will go away in WCAG 2.2. This isn’t a problem for users, regardless of the problems it may pose for the WCAG process, ACT rules, automated testing tools, or ossified testing processes. The joke here is using an antique…
WCAG 2.2 is live. Read the W3C’s What’s New in WCAG 2.2 to know what from this wildly outdated post made it into the final spec. The latest (and probably last) WCAG version 2 point release is in draft and the W3C is asking for comments and feedback by 18…
At Smashing Conference in New York on Tuesday, October 15, Microsoft is hosting a lunch session as part of its The Web We Want initiative. Developers are pitching their wants. I was invited to pitch my request, but since I will not be at the conference I was asked for…
10 July 2026: I encourage you to read Link + Popover Navigation instead. It uses the new HTML popover feature and CSS anchor positioning to create the same outcome without script and with less ARIA. Obviously you’ll need to decide if you audience is using browsers that support these features…
TL;DR: Regardless of what accessibility conformance level you target, try to ensure that interactive controls are at least 44 by 44 pixels in size. Links in blocks of text are exempt. Overview In real life there is typically both a visual and tactile component to an interface. You have to…
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) does a good job of providing supporting techniques to help reviewers determine if a specific case would violate a given Success Criterion (SC). WCAG 2.0, which became a recommendation at the end of 2008, has carried these techniques over to WCAG 2.1, finalized in…
WordCamp Europe has wrapped up in Belgrade. I presented a (not quite) three hour workshop on accessibility, specifically designed to be computer-free. I may have re-used a few slides from my presentation at last year’s WordCamp, but overall this is new material with some WCAG 2.1 references thrown in for…