Good accessibility usually starts with clear words and the right HTML elements, not a large amount of extra code.
What You Need to Know
aria-current identifies one item as the current page, step, or location in a set. In navigation, aria-current=page tells assistive technology which link represents the page the visitor is already reading.
In this example: identify the current breadcrumb link.
Try the Example
Take a look at the example. We’ll explain the important lines right below it.
<nav aria-label="Pages">
<a href="/articles?page=1">1</a>
<a href="/articles?page=2" aria-current="page">2</a>
<a href="/articles?page=3">3</a>
</nav>Let’s Read the Code
- aria-current: Aria-current identifies the active item in a group, such as the current page.
- <nav>: Navigation elements identify groups of important links.
- aria-label: Aria-label supplies an accessible name when a visible one is not available.
- href: Href is the URL to a related resource or destination.
Read the named elements and attributes together. They explain how the browser connects this feature to the rest of the page.
What Happens in the Browser?
Try this with Tab and Shift+Tab. If you can, inspect the accessibility tree too; appearance alone does not tell the whole story.
What does assistive technology receive? The example includes aria-label, aria-current. These relationships can explain names, states, or descriptions when used correctly. They do not automatically move focus, listen for clicks, or create keyboard handling.
Your Turn
Move through the example without a mouse. Read each control name and current state aloud as if describing it to a friend.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Expecting ARIA alone to create keyboard behavior or make a control interactive.
- ARIA changes what assistive technology is told; it does not automatically add keyboard controls, visual styling, or JavaScript behavior.
Key Takeaways
- aria-current identifies one item as the current page, step, or location in a set.
- aria-current: Aria-current identifies the active item in a group, such as the current page.
- A meaningful HTML element is usually a stronger starting point than adding an ARIA role to a generic div. Also check what happens using only the keyboard.