Semantic HTML and a11y

Question 1

Practice Resource: Semantic HTML

Answer 1

https://learn.shayhowe.com/html-css/getting-to-know-html/

Question 2

Resource: HTML Dog : Tags, Attributes and Elements

Answer 2

http://www.htmldog.com/guides/html/beginner/tags/

Question 3

Resource: Mark Pilgrim’s Dive into HTML

Answer 3

http://diveinto.html5doctor.com/

Question 4

Mozilla’s Developer Network (MDN)

Answer 4

https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/HTML/Element

Question 5

What is Semantic HTML?

Answer 5

The practice of choosing an HTML element to wrap content that most clearly aligns with the meaning of your content.

Question 6

What are some elements that can strengthen the Semantic HTML on your document?

Answer 6

When you’re writing HTML, strive to use elements that communicate the meaning of your document’s structure

To name a few: <p>,, , , , , and others when appropriate.</p>

Question 7

Resource: Mozilla’s HTML Element Reference

Answer 7

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element

Question 8

What is A11Y or a11y?

Answer 8

It stands for “accessibility” and its a principle that every programmer should be thinking of when building code.
It is the practice of making web pages accessible to both able-bodied and disabled users.

Question 9

Why is A11y so important? (1/2)

Answer 9

The web has user of every stripe, including many with disabilities. The web should be made with everyone’s usability in mind.

Question 10

Why is A11y so important (2/2)

Answer 10

Web crawlers index content on the pages you code to make it appear in searches.. The better the semantic html code, the better the SEO results.

Question 11

Define a mouse user:

Answer 11

usually not visually or dextrously impaired. Uses the mouse or touchpad for most web navigation

Question 12

Define a keyboard user:

Answer 12

Primarily uses the keyboard or keyboard and mouse combo, like a power user.

Question 13

Define a screen reader user:

Answer 13

Are visually impaired people who have websites read to them by a screen reader, which is an assistive technology that reads the contents of a web page out loud.
Screen reader users may not be blind but still benefit from audio to help them process the websites they use.

Question 14

Resource: Valid HTML Language Codes

Answer 14

https://www.w3schools.com/tags/ref_language_codes.asp

Question 15

How can the lang attribute be used? (1/2)

Answer 15

It can be used in the opening tag .
This will tell the whole page to orate in whatever language defined. THIS SHOULD BE DONE EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU CODE.

ex:

Question 16

How can the lang attribute be used? (2/2)

Answer 16

It can also be used on a specific element on an html document.
For example, if a paragraph is written in spanish,
You want an orator on the page with spanish dialect and way of speaking, not english

<p> Yo soy Maria. Qual es tu nombre?</p>

Question 17

What is a “role” attribute?

Answer 17

Roles tell a browser, “This is the kind of job my content is supposed to do.” They make it easier for screen reader users to understand what is on the page and how to use it

Question 18

Are there lots of types of “roles”?

Answer 18

Yes, there are. Here is a resource:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Accessibility/ARIA/ARIA_Techniques

Question 19

Resource: Mozilla ARIA and Roles

Answer 19

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Accessibility/ARIA/ARIA_Techniques

Question 20

What does ARIA stand for?

Answer 20

Accessible Rich Internet Applications

Question 21

What is ARIA used for?

Answer 21

Screen readers use ARIA to help people who use assistive technologies understand and use web sites.

Question 22

What element is the “banner” role used for?

Answer 22

It is used with the element
It is an HTML5 section role

Example: Content here

Question 23

What is the proper codeout for a role?

Answer 23

The role should always be surrounded by quotation marks.

Ex: Menu

Question 24

What element is the “navigation” role used for?

Answer 24

It is used with the element
It is an HTML5 section role

Example: Quicklinks

Question 25

What element is the “main” role used for?:

Answer 25

It is used with the . element
It is an HTML5 section role

Example: Content here

Question 26

What element is the “contentinfo” role used for?

Answer 26

It is used with the . element
It is an HTML5 section role

Example: Phone: 555.12.12

Question 27

What element is the “region” role used for?

Answer 27

It is used with the . element
It is an HTML5 section role

Example: Content here

Question 28

What’s the point or importance of using roles in my HTML coding?

Answer 28

Its important because roles give implicit instructions in the HTML document .
There is no mistaking/confusing the purpose of an element if there is role attached to it.
This makes code easier to read and render, thus making the best possibility for users who may need to use assistive technology.

Question 29

Roles can be defined as ARIA landmarks. Why?

Answer 29

Through their roles, these elements serve as ARIA landmarks for visually impaired people.
Think of ARIA landmarks as a list of shortcuts.
Just as you can quickly glance around to find a part of a page you want, a screen reader user can quickly cycle through landmarks to get where they want to go.

Question 30

But isnt the use of roles redundant since the element defines what its supposed to be anyway.

Answer 30

Yes it is redundant, but is good redundancy.

Also, older browsers don’t know the implicit roles of HTML5 elements like , , , and so we have to help them out by explicitly setting redundant roles using the role attribute.

Question 31

Can I have more than one “banner” role per HTML document?

Answer 31

NO, you should not.

Since you should not have more than one element per page, it follows reason that you should not have more than one “banner” role per page since
that role is explicitly used for the element.

Question 32

For the best code always do the following:

Answer 32

– use structured, semantic HTML
– set the lang attribute on the opening HTML tag
– set the role attribute where appropriate, especially for sectioning elements like:
for site-wide headers
for navigation elements
for main elements
for your site’s footer