ARIA

ARIA, short for Accessible Rich Internet Applications, describes attributes that communicate the role, state, or relationship of interface components to accessibility APIs. For example, a custom disclosure control may expose whether its panel is expanded through aria-expanded, while an accurately labeled landmark can help someone navigate a complex page. ARIA does not change how a component works: developers must still implement keyboard operation, focus management, and meaningful behavior.

The first design choice should usually be semantic HTML. A native button already has a recognized role and keyboard behavior; replacing it with a clickable div and adding role="button" creates extra work and opportunities for errors. Incorrect ARIA can make a usable interface less understandable. Test changes with keyboard navigation and representative assistive technologies rather than assuming that adding attributes creates accessibility compliance.

ARIA is the umbrella vocabulary. An ARIA live region is one particular application for announcing content updates, not another name for the entire technology.