Lesson 7 of 9
Study interface patterns
Screen reader support becomes concrete in recurring interface patterns: names, focus, states, errors, overlays, media controls, grids, and live updates.
Evaluate patterns by the information and operation a user needs, rather than by visual appearance alone.
Names and labels
Controls need stable, meaningful names that communicate their purpose.
Roles and states
Users need to know what an object is and whether it is selected, expanded, checked, unavailable, or changing.
Focus and order
Movement should be predictable, include all operable controls, and preserve context.
Forms and errors
Labels, instructions, requirements, validation, and recovery need programmatic relationships.
Dialogs and overlays
Focus must enter, remain appropriately contained, and return when the layer closes.
Media players
Playback, time, seeking, volume, captions, audio description, episodes, and adverts need understandable states.
Grids and carousels
Users need position, size, movement rules, current item, and an obvious route out.
Live updates
Important changes should be announced at the right time without overwhelming other speech.
What to remember
For every pattern, ask what the user must know, what they must operate, and how they can recover.
Try this with your team
Review one complex component and write down the announcement you expect at entry, during interaction, after a change, and on exit.