"Good accessibility design is good web design."
So far we have talked a lot about semantic web coding and the way HTML5 allows us to take this naming approach to a new level we have not previously been able to reach. Much of our discussion has centered on how semantic web coding makes our job as web developers easier, faster, and more meaningful.
In this chapter, we will turn our attention to how semantic web coding can improve the online experiences our audiences have. Now, applying semantic tags — tags that are meaningful rather than just presentational — become even more important to screen readers and those who rely on them to navigate the websites and applications and interfaces we create.
If you have ever coded a website, application, or interface for the military, an academic institution, or just about anyone who gets money from the United States federal government, you have heard of Section 508.
Unlike HTML or CSS validation, Section 508 validation works differently. In...