WeAreDevelopers Logo WeAreDevelopers
Sign in
For You LIVE
World Congress 2025 • Aug 20, 2025 • Session details

Semantic HTML means it's semantic, right? Right?

Emma Dawson

Semantic HTML doesn't guarantee an accessible experience. Discover why screen readers silently ignore your perfectly nested tags, and how to properly audit your accessibility tree.

Pause
Mute Enter Fullscreen
#1 about 2 min

The case for semantic HTML in accessibility

Using correct elements improves code quality and creates consistent user experiences across different abilities.

#2 about 2 min

Browser rendering process and the accessibility tree

How the DOM translates interactive and meaningful elements into an accessibility tree for screen readers.

#3 about 2 min

Translating code elements into accessible tree roles

Mapping standard anchor and button tags to specific accessibility roles while ignoring meaningless structural elements.

#4 about 3 min

Testing screen readers and practical tooling combinations

Using specific pairings of screen readers and browsers yields accurate testing results for accessible features.

#5 about 2 min

Defining good bad and ugly semantic HTML elements

Categorizing structural elements by their genuine utility and how they interact with the accessibility tree.

#6 about 3 min

Managing noisy section elements in assistive technologies

Upgrading standard HTML sections with an accessible name establishes beneficial landmark regions.

#7 about 2 min

Contextual behavior of header and footer elements

Header and footer elements only act as landmarks when implemented as direct descendants of the body.

#8 about 2 min

Differentiating anchor links from interactive button elements

Assigning precise interactions via correct elements prevents confusing behavior for screen reader users expecting navigation.

#9 about 2 min

Limitations of semantic text styling for screen readers

Relying on elements like bold or emphasis for meaning fails because the accessibility tree ignores them.

#10 about 3 min

Handling inconsistent deletion and insertion element rendering

Managing cross-browser inconsistencies in announcing modified strings requires understanding current limited element support.

#11 about 3 min

Navigating unreliable separator and abbreviation tag compatibility

Understanding how screen readers inconsistently execute horizontal rules, line breaks, and abbreviations prevents poor accessibility defaults.

Matching moments

6:50 min

Navigating accessibility standards and screen reader support limitations

Aaron T. Grogg · Coffee With Developers

6:16 min

Leveraging semantic HTML output tags and aria live regions

Chris Heilmann Chris Heilmann +2 · LIVE

1:51 min

Leveraging semantic HTML instead of custom JavaScript elements

Konstantin Tieber · World Congress 2022

6:00 min

W3C accessibility guidelines and essential practices

8:18 min

Building interactive accessibility learning resources for web developers

Chris Heilmann Chris Heilmann +2 · LIVE

4:26 min

Evaluating user experience through screen readers and landmarks

Anuradha Kumari · World Congress 2022

More from World Congress 2025

GenAI Security: Navigating the Unseen Iceberg thumbnail
24:33
12 months ago

GenAI Security: Navigating the Unseen Iceberg

Maish Saidel-Keesing

Behind the Code: How Women Are Powering the Future of AI thumbnail
30:28
about 1 year ago

Behind the Code: How Women Are Powering the Future of AI

Alexandra Wudel, Laura Moritz, Madalina Florean

The AI Hype Filter: What’s Real, What’s Investable, What’s Noise? thumbnail
28:12
about 1 year ago

The AI Hype Filter: What’s Real, What’s Investable, What’s Noise?

Justus Lumpe, Konstantin Vinogradov, Nils Eiteneyer, Stephan Wirris

AI in Leadership: How Technology is Reshaping Executive Roles thumbnail
28:19
about 1 year ago

AI in Leadership: How Technology is Reshaping Executive Roles

Bernd Datler, Jasmin Kaiser, Jeff Hausmann, Sonja Alvarez

The AI-Ready Stack: Rethinking the Engineering Org of the Future thumbnail
28:09
about 1 year ago

The AI-Ready Stack: Rethinking the Engineering Org of the Future

Alex Laubscher, Jan Oberhauser, Keno Dreßel, Mirko Novakovic

AI Sovereignty: What Does It Take? thumbnail
29:13
about 1 year ago

AI Sovereignty: What Does It Take?

Boris Hecker, Clemens Wasner, Robin Hermann, Sonja Alvarez

Upcoming sessions on this topic

Open session

Designing for Every Direction: Logical CSS for Global, Adaptive, and Effortlessly Reversible UIs

  • Vidhya Krishnamoorthy

    Morgan Stanley

    VP, Software Engineering Manager

Open session

Build a Zero-Cost AI Agent in Your Browser

  • Aishwarya Mathuria

    Adobe

    Computer Scientist

  • Nishant Thakur

    Adobe

    Senior Computer Scientist

Open session

React Under Fire: Rendering Performance for Streaming Agent UIs

  • Abhirupa Mitra

    Slack

    Senior Member of Technical Staff

Open session

Teaching AI Coding Agents to Build It Right the First Time

  • Sajeetharan Sinnathurai

    Microsoft

    Principal Product Manager

Open session

Prompt Debt: Why Your AI System Is Frozen in Time

  • Suriya Prakash B

    Red Hat

    Principal Software Engineer

Open session

How is SWE & EM roles are changing in the age of AI

  • Amol Sharma

    Stripe

    Engineering Manager

Related videos

The What, Why, Who and How of accessibility on the web thumbnail
29:59
World Congress 2022 • over 4 years ago

The What, Why, Who and How of accessibility on the web

Konstantin Tieber

WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Can AI save Accessibility?; Horrid HTML; The Frontend Treadmill and more thumbnail
1:06:13
LIVE • over 1 year ago

WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Can AI save Accessibility?; Horrid HTML; The Frontend Treadmill and more

Chris Heilmann, Daniel Cranney, Dirk Ginader

Making Interactions Accessible to All Users thumbnail
31:38
World Congress 2023 • about 3 years ago

Making Interactions Accessible to All Users

Anuradha Kumari

WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Gaps in CSS, EU Accessibility Act and more! thumbnail
1:10:08
LIVE • over 1 year ago

WeAreDevelopers LIVE - Gaps in CSS, EU Accessibility Act and more!

Chris Heilmann, Daniel Cranney, Emma Dawson

Accessibility in React Application thumbnail
30:07
LIVE • almost 2 years ago

Accessibility in React Application

Julia Undeutsch

Accessibility Features in Chrome DevTools and beyond thumbnail
30:17
Europe 2026 Virtual • 4 months ago

Accessibility Features in Chrome DevTools and beyond

Julia Undeutsch

Related articles

From learning to earning

Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.