What are the most effective accessibility patterns for modal dialogs and popovers?

3 How to make modal dialogs accessible

Modal dialogs should follow accessibility patterns to ensure they are perceivable, operable, and understandable for all users. The role="dialog" attribute should be used to indicate the overlay is a modal dialog and provide a descriptive aria-label or aria-labelledby attribute to convey its purpose. Additionally, the aria-modal="true" attribute should be used to inform assistive technologies that the modal dialog is active and the rest of the page is inert. Furthermore, the aria-describedby attribute should be used to link the modal dialog to any additional text that explains its content or functionality, while the tabindex="-1" attribute should make the modal dialog focusable and set the initial focus to the first interactive element or most relevant information within it. Moreover, keyboard focus should be trapped within the modal dialog until it is closed, and a clear and accessible way should be provided to close it, such as a close button, cancel button, or escape key. Lastly, animations, transitions, or effects that could cause motion sickness, distraction, or confusion for users with vestibular disorders, attention deficits, or cognitive impairments should be avoided.

4 How to make popovers accessible

Popovers should be perceivable, operable, and understandable for all users, so it's important to follow certain accessibility patterns. For example, use the appropriate role attribute to indicate the type of popover (e.g. role="tooltip" , role="menu" , or role="dialog" ) and provide a descriptive aria-label or aria-labelledby attribute to convey its purpose. Additionally, use the aria-haspopup and aria-expanded attributes to indicate whether the popover is open or closed, and the aria-controls and aria-owns attributes to link the element that triggers the popover to the popover itself. Furthermore, set the initial focus to the first interactive element or most relevant information within the popover using the tabindex="-1" attribute, and provide a clear and accessible way to close it (e.g. clicking outside it, pressing the escape key, or selecting an option). Lastly, avoid using animations, transitions, or effects that could cause motion sickness, distraction, or confusion for users with vestibular disorders, attention deficits, or cognitive impairments.

5 How to test modal dialogs and popovers for accessibility

Testing modal dialogs and popovers for accessibility is an essential part of the UX design process, as it can help you identify and fix any issues or barriers that could affect your users. You can use automated tools, manual checks, and user feedback to assess the accessibility of your modal dialogs and popovers. For instance, you can use an accessibility audit tool such as Lighthouse, axe, or WAVE to scan for common errors or warnings. Additionally, you can use a keyboard to navigate and interact with the modal dialogs and popovers to check that they are reachable, operable, and dismissible. You can also use a screen reader like VoiceOver, NVDA, or JAWS to access and explore the modal dialogs and popovers. In addition, you can use a browser zoom or magnifier to view the modal dialogs and popovers at different levels of magnification. Furthermore, you can use a color contrast checker such as ColorZilla, Contrast Checker, or WebAIM to measure the contrast ratio between text and background. Additionally, you can use a color blindness simulator such as Coblis, Color Oracle, or NoCoffee to view the modal dialogs and popovers as they would appear to users with color vision deficiencies. Moreover, you can use a dyslexia simulator such as OpenDyslexic, Dyslexia Simulator, or Dsxyliea to view the modal dialogs and popovers as they would appear to users with dyslexia. Lastly, you can use a user testing platform like UserTesting, UserZoom, or Loop11 to recruit and observe users with diverse abilities and preferences. Collect their feedback regarding your modal dialogs and popovers in order to improve your design.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?