The Forest Through the Accessibility Tree

Presenters

Derek Jackson — Harvard University

Description

It may come as a surprise to learn that many assistive technologies do not interact directly with the content displayed in our browsers, or the HTML behind the scenes. Instead assistive technology relies on a parallel structure to what we see called the “Accessibility Tree.” This structure is what the browser and assistive technology use to interact with one another. When we have a better understanding of the accessibility tree we are better able incorporate accessibility into our work at the onset and be more deliberate about how we create accessible content. This presentation will take a peek under the hood of this technology to understand the process and show how having this understanding is an important part of creating accessible content.