The Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) is a set of guidelines and specifications that aims to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. One of the key attributes defined in WAI-ARIA is the aria-level attribute, which allows developers to indicate the hierarchical level of a structure within a web page.
What is the aria-level attribute?
The aria-level attribute is used to provide assistive technologies, such as screen readers, with information about the hierarchical level of a component or element within a document. It is typically applied to headings, list items, and other structure-related elements.
How does the aria-level attribute work?
The aria-level attribute accepts a numeric value, starting from 1, that represents the hierarchical level of the element relative to other elements of the same type on the page. Lower values indicate higher levels of importance or prominence.
Screen readers and other assistive technologies use the aria-level attribute to generate a table of contents or a list of hierarchical navigation links based on the structure of the page. Users can then navigate through these sections more easily.
Example usage of aria-level attribute
Here’s an example of how the aria-level attribute can be used to define the hierarchical structure of heading elements in a web page:
<h1 aria-level="1">Main Heading</h1>
<h2 aria-level="2">Sub Heading</h2>
<h3 aria-level="3">Sub Sub Heading</h3>
<h4 aria-level="4">Sub Sub Sub Heading</h4>
<h1 aria-level="1">Another Main Heading</h1>
In this example, the first heading is set to level 1, indicating that it is the main heading of the page. The subsequent headings have incrementally higher aria-level attributes to indicate their relative hierarchy.
Benefits of using the aria-level attribute
The aria-level attribute enhances the accessibility of web content by providing meaningful structure information to assistive technologies. By using this attribute correctly, developers can ensure that screen readers and other assistive technologies can generate accurate and useful navigation aids for users with disabilities.
Conclusion
The aria-level attribute is a valuable tool for improving the accessibility of web content. By properly implementing it in headings and other relevant elements, developers can provide assistive technologies with the necessary information to create meaningful and hierarchical navigation experiences for users with disabilities.