A webpage should make sense even when someone cannot see its colors, pictures, or layout.
What You Need to Know
Two navigation regions can both be valid when they serve different purposes. Give them distinct accessible names, such as Main navigation and Related lessons, so people can tell which one they are entering.
Try the Example
Take a look at the example. We’ll explain the important lines right below it.
<nav aria-label="Main navigation">
<a href="/home">Home</a>
<a href="/lessons">Lessons</a>
</nav>
<nav aria-label="Article navigation">
<a href="#overview">Overview</a>
<a href="#examples">Examples</a>
</nav>Let’s Read the Code
- <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. 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
Use Tab and Shift+Tab to visit the controls, then read their labels aloud. Is the purpose of each one clear?
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Judging the page only by how it looks, without checking its meaning and keyboard behavior.
- Check the same result using both the browser and a keyboard, not only by looking at the screen.
Key Takeaways
- Two navigation regions can both be valid when they serve different purposes.
- <nav>: Navigation elements identify groups of important links.
- Test the behavior you expect rather than trusting how the snippet looks in your editor.