This is the simplest, most powerful pattern, and it’s often overlooked. Using the right HTML element for the job isn’t just “neat.” It’s essential. A <button> is inherently focusable and clickable. A <div> styled to look like a button is a trap for keyboard and screen reader users.

The pattern: Use native HTML elements (<button>, <nav>, <main>, <header>) wherever possible. They come with built-in accessibility features for free. When you must create a custom interactive component, you have to manually add all that functionality back in with ARIA—which is hard work.

2. Robust Keyboard Navigation

For many users, the Tab key is their mouse. If your app can’t be fully operated with a keyboard, it’s like a building with a beautiful facade but no front door.

The pattern: Ensure a logical, intuitive tab order. All interactive elements must be focusable. And crucially, provide a highly visible focus indicator. That little outline around a button when you tab to it? Don’t remove it with CSS! Style it, by all means, make it fit your brand, but for heaven’s sake, don’t set it to outline: none;. That’s like turning off the lights for keyboard users.

3. ARIA with Caution and Purpose

ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is a set of attributes that help bridge the gaps when semantic HTML isn’t enough. It’s incredibly powerful. It’s also a double-edged sword.

The pattern: The first rule of ARIA is… don’t use ARIA if you can use a native HTML element. The second rule? No, really. Misused ARIA creates more problems than it solves. Use it for complex widgets like custom menus, tabs, or live regions. For example, aria-expanded="true" clearly tells a screen reader user if a dropdown menu is open or closed.

Implementation: Weaving Patterns into Your Workflow

Knowing the patterns is one thing. Making them stick in a fast-paced development cycle is another. Here’s how to bake them in.

Start with Accessible Design Systems

Your component library is the perfect place to enforce accessibility. If every Button, Modal, and Form Input in your system is built accessibly by default, your entire application gets a massive head start. Developers don’t have to think about it every single time; it’s just how the button works.

Document the expected keyboard interactions and ARIA states right in your component’s storybook or documentation. Make the accessible way the easiest way.

Automate What You Can

You can’t automate empathy, but you can automate a lot of the technical checks. Integrate tools like axe-core into your CI/CD pipeline or use browser extensions during code reviews. These tools can catch a significant portion of common issues, like missing alt text, low color contrast, and invalid ARIA attributes.

It’s a safety net. It catches the straightforward errors so your team can focus on the more complex, nuanced accessibility challenges.

Test with Real People and Real Tools

Automated testing is great, but it only gets you about 30-40% of the way there. The only way to know if your software is truly accessible is to test it with the tools and people who rely on these features.

Do a “keyboard-only” run-through of your new feature. Unplug the mouse. Can you still use it? Fire up a free screen reader like NVDA (on Windows) or VoiceOver (on Mac). Try to navigate your own app. It’ll be humbling, and incredibly enlightening. This practice, more than any other, will change how you build.

The Ripple Effect of Building Inclusively

When you commit to accessibility-first design, something interesting happens. The quality of your entire codebase improves. You’re forced to think more deeply about state management, component APIs, and user flow. Your software becomes less brittle. It’s a classic case of rising tides lifting all boats.

You also future-proof your work. As the web evolves and regulations tighten, your product is already ahead of the curve. You avoid the costly, soul-crushing refactors that come from treating accessibility as a last-minute feature.

But beyond the business case and the technical merits, there’s a simpler truth. It’s about building a digital world that doesn’t exclude. It’s about recognizing that human ability is a spectrum, and our software should reflect that. Every time you use a semantic <button> or ensure proper color contrast, you’re not just writing code. You’re quietly, meaningfully, opening a door.