Web accessibility trends and implementation in dynamic web applications

TL;DR

This paper reviews current web accessibility trends, discusses NASA ADS's efforts to implement these in a dynamic web application, and shares lessons learned to guide future accessible web development.

Contribution

It provides an overview of accessibility trends, describes NASA ADS's implementation experience, and offers recommendations for enhancing accessibility in dynamic web applications.

Findings

Improved accessibility through adherence to WCAG standards

Identification of key areas for accessibility enhancement

Lessons learned for future web accessibility projects

Abstract

The NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS), a critical research service for the astrophysics community, strives to provide the most accessible and inclusive environment for the discovery and exploration of the astronomical literature. Part of this goal involves creating a digital platform that can accommodate everybody, including those with disabilities that would benefit from alternative ways to present the information provided by the website. NASA ADS follows the official Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standard for ensuring accessibility of all its applications, striving to exceed this standard where possible. Through the use of both internal audits and external expert review based on these guidelines, we have identified many areas for improving accessibility in our current web application, and have implemented a number of updates to the UI as a result of this. We present an overview of some current web accessibility trends, discuss our experience incorporating these trends in our web application, and discuss the lessons learned and recommendations for future projects.