In short
The shorthand a11y means accessibility. It keeps the first and last letter and replaces the eleven letters in between with the number 11.
Practical accessibility shows up in boring places: proper headings, labels tied to inputs, visible focus states, usable color contrast, keyboard paths, meaningful alt text, captions, and errors that say what to fix.
Where it bites
Accessibility bites when legal, procurement, or customer support pressure arrives after launch. Retrofitting a design system, content model, and form flow costs more than building the controls correctly from the start.
What to check
- Can every interactive control be reached and used with a keyboard?
- Do headings, labels, alt text, and error messages make sense without the visual layout?
- Which WCAG, EAA, BITV, or procurement requirement applies to this product?
Common questions
What does a11y mean?
A11y is shorthand for accessibility. It keeps the "a" and "y" and replaces the eleven letters between them with 11.
Is accessibility only for screen readers?
No. Screen reader support matters, but accessibility also covers keyboard use, contrast, text resizing, captions, cognitive load, motion sensitivity, forms, and error recovery.
What should you check first for accessibility?
Start with keyboard navigation, semantic headings, form labels, focus states, color contrast, meaningful alt text, and the WCAG level or legal requirement you need to meet.