Accessibility lessons from building with a screen reader

I work with visual impairment and rely on screen readers and voice tools daily. That lived experience changes what 'done' means — a feature isn't finished when it looks right, it's finished when it reads and operates right.

Semantic landmarks and a skip link so navigation is fast. Visible focus rings on everything. ARIA live regions so state changes are announced. Forms that move focus to the first error and speak it. Content that stays visible instead of hiding behind hover or tabs.

None of that is decoration. It's the difference between a product I can use and one I can't.

High contrast helps in bright sun. Keyboard navigation helps power users. Clear focus states help anyone who loses their place. Accessibility, done from line one, is just good engineering with the edges filed down.