Web Accessibility in React: Semantic HTML, ARIA, Focus Management, and axe Testing

Accessibility isn't a feature you add at the end — it's a quality signal that correlates with better code overall. Well-structured, accessible apps tend to have better semantics, better keyboard behavior, and better performance. Here's the practical implementation. Semantic HTML First Every accessibility problem that seems hard is often just a semantic HTML problem: // Bad -- div soup, no semantics < div className = 'header' > < div className = 'nav' > < div onClick = { handleClick } > Home </ div > < div onClick = { handleClick } > About </ div > </ div > </ div > // Good -- semantic HTML, keyboard accessible automatically < header > < nav aria-label = 'Main navigation' > < ul > < li >< a href = '/' > Home </ a ></ li > < li >< a href = '/about' > About </ a ></ li > </ ul > </ nav > </ header > Landmark elements ( <header> , <nav> , <main> , <aside> , <footer> ) give screen reader users a way to jump between sections. ARIA: When and When Not To ARIA attributes add semantic meaning wh