Technical Guide
Building WCAG 2.1 AA Compliant React Apps: A Developer's Guide
📅2025-10-04
⏱️8 min read
👤Hunny Shah
Learn how to build accessible React applications that meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards—a legal requirement for all government websites in Canada. Based on real experience implementing accessibility for 30+ projects.
WCAG
Accessibility
React
Government
Compliance
Key Points
- ✓WCAG 2.1 AA is legally required for all Canadian government websites
- ✓React accessibility patterns and components that ensure compliance
- ✓Testing strategies using screen readers and automated tools
- ✓Common accessibility pitfalls and how to avoid them
- ✓Performance optimization for assistive technologies
Article Outline
1. Introduction
- •Why WCAG 2.1 AA matters for government projects
- •Legal requirements in Canada (AODA, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act)
- •Business case: 15% of population has disabilities
2. WCAG 2.1 AA Fundamentals
- •Four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust (POUR)
- •Success criteria breakdown (A, AA, AAA levels)
- •Government requirement: AA compliance mandatory
3. React Accessibility Patterns
- •Semantic HTML and proper heading structure
- •ARIA labels, roles, and properties
- •Focus management and keyboard navigation
- •Color contrast and visual design
- •Screen reader testing strategies
4. Code Examples
- •Accessible form components with proper error handling
- •Modal dialogs with focus trapping
- •Data tables with proper headers and captions
- •Navigation with skip links and breadcrumbs
- •Image optimization with meaningful alt text
5. Testing & Validation
- •Automated testing with axe-core and jest-axe
- •Manual testing with NVDA and JAWS screen readers
- •Government compliance auditing process
- •Accessibility testing checklist
6. Real-World Government Example
- •Case study: Municipal services portal (50,000+ citizens)
- •Accessibility challenges and solutions
- •User feedback from citizens with disabilities
- •95% satisfaction rate including accessibility
7. Conclusion
- •Accessibility as competitive advantage for government contracts
- •ROI of accessible design (reduced support costs, wider user base)
- •Next steps for government-ready React development
📄 Full Content Available
The complete blog post with code examples, implementation details, and real-world case studies is available in the markdown file:
/src/data/blog/WCAG_BLOG_POST_CONTENT.mdThis structured preview highlights the key points and outline. The full markdown file contains detailed explanations, code examples and implementation guides.
Code Examples
Accessible Form Component
Form with proper ARIA labels and error handling
jsx
Focus Management Hook
Custom React hook for managing focus in SPAs
javascript
Screen Reader Announcement
Live region for dynamic content updates
jsx