In the world of web accessibility, the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) introduced the Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) specification. ARIA includes various attributes that help developers create more inclusive web experiences for users with disabilities. One such attribute is aria-expanded.

The aria-expanded attribute is used to indicate the state of an expandable/collapsible element. It provides valuable information to assistive technologies, such as screen readers, about the current visibility or expanded state of a UI component, such as an accordion, menu, dropdown, or tree view.

How to use aria-expanded

To use the aria-expanded attribute, you simply add it to the HTML element that represents the expandable/collapsible component. Its value can be either true or false, indicating whether the component is expanded or not, respectively.

Here’s an example of how you can integrate aria-expanded into an accordion component:

<button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="accordion-content">
  Toggle Accordion
</button>

<div id="accordion-content" aria-hidden="true">
  <!-- Content of the accordion -->
</div>

In this example, the button element serves as the trigger for expanding or collapsing the accordion content. It has an aria-expanded="false" attribute to indicate the initial collapsed state. The div element that contains the accordion content has the aria-hidden="true" attribute, which indicates that it is initially hidden from screen readers.

Why is aria-expanded important?

The aria-expanded attribute enhances the accessibility of dynamic web components by providing explicit information about their expand/collapse state. It enables screen readers and other assistive technologies to inform users when content is hidden or revealed, allowing them to navigate and understand the interface more effectively.

Additionally, some screen readers provide keyboard shortcuts or commands for users to interact with expandable/collapsible components. The aria-expanded attribute helps these users understand the current state of the component and interact with it accordingly.

Conclusion

The aria-expanded attribute is a vital tool for developers aiming to provide inclusive web experiences. By utilizing this attribute, developers can ensure that assistive technologies can properly convey the expand/collapse state of dynamic components to users with disabilities. This contributes to a more accessible web for all users.

To learn more about WAI-ARIA and its attributes, including aria-expanded, refer to the official documentation on the W3C WAI-ARIA specification.

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