# Getting started with ARIA

DevFeed: [Getting started with ARIA](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/getting-started-with-aria-9385.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://a11yproject.com/posts/getting-started-aria/>)

Author: Monika Piotrowicz

Published: 2014-05-15T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [The A11Y Project](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/the-a11y-project.md>)

Topics: [aria](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/aria.md>), [Accessibility](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/accessibility.md>), [HTML](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/html.md>)

Tags: [accessibility](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/accessibility.md>), [aria](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/aria.md>), [getting-started](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/getting-started.md>), [html](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/html.md>)

## AI overview

An introduction to ARIA, the W3C specification for improving application accessibility through HTML attributes that provide extra information to assistive technologies. It explains ARIA's descriptive role, its relationship to HTML, and the use of roles, states, and properties.

## Source excerpt

ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications), is a specification from the W3C and created to improve accessibility of applications by providing extra information to assistive technologies, such as screen readers, via attributes which could be added to HTML. Out of the box, screen readers will interpret HTML that conveys accessibility mapping information (e.g. a button but not a div). However, ARIA attributes can provide screen reader users with additional context and greater interactivity with content to correct misused HTML, or to convey information not available in HTML alone. ARIA, by design, has no effect on how elements are displayed or behave in browsers. It does not add new functionality and is meant to act only as an extra descriptive layer for screen readers. ARIA is also beholden to its host language and must adhere to the rules of what elements it can, and cannot, be used on. ARIA in HTML specification: Defines how ARIA may be used within HTML. ARIA specification: Defines ARIA. ARIA attributes ARIA attributes are predefined in the spec and are divided into two categories, roles and states & properties. Both can be added directly in the markup or via JavaScript to progressively enhance markup as necessary. The properties and states should be updated as needed based on user interactions. There are rules behind which elements may receive types of ARIA attributes, as well as design guidelines for how and when these should be updated in common interactive widgets. ARIA Roles: Section of the specification about roles. ARIA States and Properties: Section of the specification about states and properties. ARIA Authoring Practices note: Provides guidance on how to use ARIA. ARIA roles An ARIA role is added via a role="<ROLE TYPE>" attribute and does not change for an element once set. There are six categories of ARIA roles. Landmark Landmark roles identify large content areas and are used by screen readers for navigation. Ideally all content of a document would be