How we improved accessibility in GitLab’s new navigation

What this post added

This post details specific accessibility improvements made during a recent navigation redesign. Key contributions include: early and frequent accessibility reviews using low-fidelity prototypes and ARIA attributes, manual testing with popular screen reader and browser combinations (JAWS/Chrome, NVDA/Firefox, VoiceOver/Safari), and the successful implementation of the `inert` HTML attribute for improved keyboard and screen reader interactivity when navigation elements are collapsed. Specific ARIA attributes like `aria-expanded`, `aria-controls`, and `aria-current='page'` were utilized, along with a 'Skip to main content' link and exclusion of collapsed navigation content from the focus order. The post highlights the iterative nature of accessibility improvements and the importance of leveraging browser standards for robust implementations.