ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications)

A W3C specification of roles, states, and properties that lets authors expose user-interface semantics to browsers and assistive technologies when native markup cannot provide the required meaning. Examples include a widget's role, accessible name, expanded state, selected state, or relationship to another element. ARIA changes semantics; it does not add keyboard behavior, focus management, styling, or application logic.

Why it matters: Use a native HTML element whenever it already provides the semantics and behavior you need. When a custom widget genuinely requires ARIA, implement the expected keyboard interactions and keep states synchronized with the visible interface. Incorrect roles or labels can override useful native semantics and misrepresent the experience to assistive-technology users, so validate the accessibility tree and test relevant browser and assistive-technology combinations instead of judging attribute presence alone.