<!-- ❌ WRONG - divs with onClick -->
<div onclick="submit()">Submit</div>
<div onclick="navigate()">Next page</div>

<!-- ✅ CORRECT - semantic elements -->
<button type="submit">Submit</button>
<a href="/next">Next page</a>

/* ❌ WRONG - removes focus outline */
button:focus { outline: none; }

/* ✅ CORRECT - custom accessible outline */
button:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid var(--primary);
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

<!-- ❌ WRONG - no alt text -->
<img src="logo.png">
<button><svg>...</svg></button>

<!-- ✅ CORRECT - proper alternatives -->
<img src="logo.png" alt="Company Name">
<button aria-label="Close dialog"><svg>...</svg></button>

Need clickable element?
├─ Navigates to another page? → <a href="...">
├─ Submits form? → <button type="submit">
├─ Opens dialog? → <button aria-haspopup="dialog">
└─ Other action? → <button type="button">

Grouping content?
├─ Self-contained article? → <article>
├─ Thematic section? → <section>
├─ Navigation links? → <nav>
└─ Supplementary info? → <aside>

Form element?
├─ Text input? → <input type="text">
├─ Multiple choice? → <select> or <input type="radio">
├─ Toggle? → <input type="checkbox"> or <button aria-pressed>
└─ Long text? → <textarea>

<!-- ❌ WRONG - unnecessary ARIA -->
<button role="button">Click me</button>  <!-- Button already has role -->

<!-- ✅ CORRECT - ARIA fills semantic gap -->
<div role="dialog" aria-labelledby="title" aria-modal="true">
  <h2 id="title">Confirm action</h2>
  <!-- No HTML dialog yet, so role needed -->
</div>

<!-- ✅ BETTER - Use native HTML when available -->
<dialog aria-labelledby="title">
  <h2 id="title">Confirm action</h2>
</dialog>

// Tab order management
function Dialog({ onClose }) {
  const dialogRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
  const previousFocus = useRef<HTMLElement | null>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    // Save previous focus
    previousFocus.current = document.activeElement as HTMLElement;

    // Focus first element in dialog
    const firstFocusable = dialogRef.current?.querySelector('button, [href], input, select, textarea, [tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])');
    (firstFocusable as HTMLElement)?.focus();

    // Trap focus within dialog
    const handleKeyDown = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
      if (e.key === 'Escape') onClose();
      if (e.key === 'Tab') {
        // Focus trap logic here
      }
    };

    document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
    return () => {
      document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
      // Restore focus on close
      previousFocus.current?.focus();
    };
  }, [onClose]);

  return <div ref={dialogRef} role="dialog">...</div>;
}

/* ❌ WRONG - insufficient contrast */
:root {
  --background: #ffffff;
  --text: #999999;  /* 2.8:1 - fails WCAG AA */
}

/* ✅ CORRECT - sufficient contrast */
:root {
  --background: #ffffff;
  --text: #595959;  /* 4.6:1 - passes WCAG AA */
}

<!-- ❌ WRONG - placeholder is not a label -->
<input type="email" placeholder="Email address">

<!-- ✅ CORRECT - proper label -->
<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input type="email" id="email" name="email" required aria-required="true">

<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input
  type="email"
  id="email"
  name="email"
  aria-invalid="true"
  aria-describedby="email-error"
>
<span id="email-error" role="alert">
  Please enter a valid email address
</span>

<div role="alert" aria-live="assertive" aria-atomic="true">
  Form submission failed. Please fix the errors above.
</div>

1. Unplug mouse or hide cursor
2. Tab through entire page
   - Can you reach all interactive elements?
   - Can you activate all buttons/links?
   - Is focus order logical?
3. Use Enter/Space to activate
4. Use Escape to close dialogs
5. Use arrow keys in menus/tabs

interface DialogProps {
  isOpen: boolean;
  onClose: () => void;
  title: string;
  children: React.ReactNode;
}

function Dialog({ isOpen, onClose, title, children }: DialogProps) {
  const dialogRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (!isOpen) return;

    const previousFocus = document.activeElement as HTMLElement;

    // Focus first focusable element
    const firstFocusable = dialogRef.current?.querySelector(
      'button, [href], input, select, textarea, [tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])'
    ) as HTMLElement;
    firstFocusable?.focus();

    // Focus trap
    const handleKeyDown = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
      if (e.key === 'Escape') {
        onClose();
      }
      if (e.key === 'Tab') {
        const focusableElements = dialogRef.current?.querySelectorAll(
          'button, [href], input, select, textarea, [tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])'
        );
        if (!focusableElements?.length) return;

        const first = focusableElements[0] as HTMLElement;
        const last = focusableElements[focusableElements.length - 1] as HTMLElement;

        if (e.shiftKey && document.activeElement === first) {
          e.preventDefault();
          last.focus();
        } else if (!e.shiftKey && document.activeElement === last) {
          e.preventDefault();
          first.focus();
        }
      }
    };

    document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);

    return () => {
      document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
      previousFocus?.focus();
    };
  }, [isOpen, onClose]);

  if (!isOpen) return null;

  return (
    <>
      {/* Backdrop */}
      <div
        className="dialog-backdrop"
        onClick={onClose}
        aria-hidden="true"
      />

      {/* Dialog */}
      <div
        ref={dialogRef}
        role="dialog"
        aria-modal="true"
        aria-labelledby="dialog-title"
        className="dialog"
      >
        <h2 id="dialog-title">{title}</h2>
        <div className="dialog-content">{children}</div>
        <button onClick={onClose} aria-label="Close dialog">×</button>
      </div>
    </>
  );
}

function Tabs({ tabs }: { tabs: Array<{ label: string; content: React.ReactNode }> }) {
  const [activeIndex, setActiveIndex] = useState(0);

  const handleKeyDown = (e: React.KeyboardEvent, index: number) => {
    if (e.key === 'ArrowLeft') {
      e.preventDefault();
      const newIndex = index === 0 ? tabs.length - 1 : index - 1;
      setActiveIndex(newIndex);
    } else if (e.key === 'ArrowRight') {
      e.preventDefault();
      const newIndex = index === tabs.length - 1 ? 0 : index + 1;
      setActiveIndex(newIndex);
    } else if (e.key === 'Home') {
      e.preventDefault();
      setActiveIndex(0);
    } else if (e.key === 'End') {
      e.preventDefault();
      setActiveIndex(tabs.length - 1);
    }
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <div role="tablist" aria-label="Content tabs">
        {tabs.map((tab, index) => (
          <button
            key={index}
            role="tab"
            aria-selected={activeIndex === index}
            aria-controls={`panel-${index}`}
            id={`tab-${index}`}
            tabIndex={activeIndex === index ? 0 : -1}
            onClick={() => setActiveIndex(index)}
            onKeyDown={(e) => handleKeyDown(e, index)}
          >
            {tab.label}
          </button>
        ))}
      </div>
      {tabs.map((tab, index) => (
        <div
          key={index}
          role="tabpanel"
          id={`panel-${index}`}
          aria-labelledby={`tab-${index}`}
          hidden={activeIndex !== index}
          tabIndex={0}
        >
          {tab.content}
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

<!-- Place at very top of body -->
<a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">
  Skip to main content
</a>

<style>
.skip-link {
  position: absolute;
  top: -40px;
  left: 0;
  background: var(--primary);
  color: white;
  padding: 8px 16px;
  z-index: 9999;
}

.skip-link:focus {
  top: 0;
}
</style>

<!-- Then in your layout -->
<main id="main-content" tabindex="-1">
  <!-- Page content -->
</main>

function ContactForm() {
  const [errors, setErrors] = useState<Record<string, string>>({});
  const [touched, setTouched] = useState<Record<string, boolean>>({});

  const validateEmail = (email: string) => {
    if (!email) return 'Email is required';
    if (!/^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/.test(email)) return 'Email is invalid';
    return '';
  };

  const handleBlur = (field: string, value: string) => {
    setTouched(prev => ({ ...prev, [field]: true }));
    const error = validateEmail(value);
    setErrors(prev => ({ ...prev, [field]: error }));
  };

  return (
    <form>
      <div>
        <label htmlFor="email">Email address *</label>
        <input
          type="email"
          id="email"
          name="email"
          required
          aria-required="true"
          aria-invalid={touched.email && !!errors.email}
          aria-describedby={errors.email ? 'email-error' : undefined}
          onBlur={(e) => handleBlur('email', e.target.value)}
        />
        {touched.email && errors.email && (
          <span id="email-error" role="alert" className="error">
            {errors.email}
          </span>
        )}
      </div>

      <button type="submit">Submit</button>

      {/* Global form error */}
      <div role="alert" aria-live="assertive" aria-atomic="true">
        {/* Dynamic error message appears here */}
      </div>
    </form>
  );
}

<!-- Polite: Wait for screen reader to finish current announcement -->
<div aria-live="polite">New messages: 3</div>

<!-- Assertive: Interrupt immediately -->
<div aria-live="assertive" role="alert">
  Error: Form submission failed
</div>

<!-- Off: Don't announce (default) -->
<div aria-live="off">Loading...</div>

function App() {
  const location = useLocation();
  const mainRef = useRef<HTMLElement>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    // Focus main content on route change
    mainRef.current?.focus();
    // Announce page title to screen readers
    const title = document.title;
    const announcement = document.createElement('div');
    announcement.setAttribute('role', 'status');
    announcement.setAttribute('aria-live', 'polite');
    announcement.textContent = `Navigated to ${title}`;
    document.body.appendChild(announcement);
    setTimeout(() => announcement.remove(), 1000);
  }, [location.pathname]);

  return <main ref={mainRef} tabIndex={-1} id="main-content">...</main>;
}

<table>
  <caption>Monthly sales by region</caption>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th scope="col">Region</th>
      <th scope="col">Q1</th>
      <th scope="col">Q2</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">North</th>
      <td>$10,000</td>
      <td>$12,000</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

*:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid var(--primary);
  outline-offset: 2px;
}