Screen Reader

Problem

Screen reader users encounter unlabeled buttons, images without alt text, and dynamic content changes that go unannounced. They navigate through garbled content order, meaningless link text like “click here,” and form fields without proper labels, making interfaces frustrating or impossible to use.

Solution

Test with screen reader software to verify your interface is perceivable and operable through audio cues. This catches accessibility issues automated tools miss.

Example

This demonstrates how to optimize HTML for screen readers by providing proper labels, hiding decorative elements, and using semantic structure to ensure content is accessible.

<!-- Button with aria-label for screen readers -->
<button aria-label="Close dialog">
  <!-- Hide decorative icon from screen readers -->
  <svg aria-hidden="true">...</svg>
</button>

<!-- Image with descriptive alt text -->
<img src="logo.png" alt="Company logo" />

<!-- Navigation with labeled landmark for easy access -->
<nav aria-label="Main navigation">
  <ul>...</ul>
</nav>

Benefits

• Makes content accessible to users who rely on screen readers.
• Improves SEO by providing semantic meaning to search engines.
• Ensures compliance with accessibility standards like WCAG.
• Benefits all users with better structured, more meaningful content.

Tradeoffs

• Requires learning ARIA attributes and accessibility best practices.
• Can add markup verbosity with proper labeling and descriptions.
• Needs testing with actual screen readers to verify effectiveness.
• May require rethinking UI patterns that don’t translate to audio.