html5doctor.com

HTML Developers: Please Consider | HTML5 Doctor

Steve Faulkner

ARIA is an amazing technology, it allows developers to add meaning to meaningless HTML or override meaning on HTML that is being repurposed and sometimes misused, so that users who rely upon the meaning of HTML, as implemented in browsers, can understand and interact with HTML User Interfaces successfully.

ARIA allows developers to re-invent and extend native HTML features in meaningful ways. But like all bolt-on technologies its features are brittle compared to its built-in counterparts.

Whenever you are considering:

By using native HTML features, wherever practical, over custom HTML with bolt-on semantics and interaction behaviours, you will save yourselves and users a lot of grief and ensure that your User Interfaces work robustly across the largest number of devices, operating systems, input devices, browsers and assistive technologies.

Further Reading