Microsoft Introduces ARIA Notify & This Is How it Enhances Web Accessibility in Edge

Microsoft has introduced ARIA Notify, a new API aimed at improving web accessibility for users of assistive technologies. ARIA Notify allows developers to send direct notifications to assistive tools like screen readers, even when the DOM (Document Object Model) remains unchanged. This is particularly useful in scenarios like text formatting changes or status updates. Moreover, it is also helpful in applications where visual changes occur without corresponding DOM modifications.

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Developers can utilize the ariaNotify() method on either the document or specific DOM elements to deliver messages. The API also supports setting notification priorities between ‘normal’ and ‘high’ to prioritize messages announced to users. A high-priority alert about a failed save operation can be delivered before a normal-priority message about a background task completion.

ARIA Notify is currently available for testing in Microsoft Edge version 136 through an Origin Trial or by enabling the --enable-blink-features=AriaNotify flag. Developers are encouraged to experiment with the API and provide feedback via GitHub to help refine its functionality.