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Accessibility is not optional

Why building to WCAG from the start improves the product for everyone — and how I approached it in OpFix.

AccessibilityFrontend

Accessibility is often treated as a compliance checkbox. Built in from the start, it's actually a usability upgrade for every user.

Semantics first

Use the right element for the job — a <button> is focusable, keyboard-operable and announced correctly for free. Reinventing it with a <div> throws all of that away.

Keyboard is the baseline

If it works with a keyboard alone, it works for a huge range of assistive tech. During the OpFix accessibility pass, fixing keyboard traps and adding visible focus improved the experience for mouse users too.

Label everything

Every input, icon button and control needs an accessible name. Screen-reader users navigate by those names.

The lesson

WCAG isn't a ceiling to scrape under — it's a floor that makes your product better for everyone standing on it.