Empty and Nested HTML Divs and Their Impact on Accessibility

Shawn Sandy (Ally.Cafe) ~ July 8, 2024

JavaScript frameworks like React and Angular have made developers increasingly reliant on empty and nested <div> elements for layout purposes. While this approach is convenient, it can harm accessibility and the use of semantic HTML. Empty <div> tags lack meaningful content, making it difficult for users to understand the page’s structure.

Moreover, overly complex nested <div> structures can hinder navigation and comprehension for users, especially those relying on assistive tools. These problematic DOM structures create challenges for assistive technologies, impacting the overall user experience and accessibility of web content. Prioritizing semantic HTML and meaningful content is essential to ensure an accessible and user-friendly website.

By following WCAG 2.2 guidelines, using semantic HTML elements, and simplifying HTML structures, you can enhance the accessibility and usability of your web content. Ensuring that all elements in your HTML provide meaningful content and structure is crucial for creating an inclusive web experience.

In this posts we will explore WCAG accesibility guideliness related to empty and nested divs and provide some tips for improving the semantic structure and meaningfulness of content.

WCAG Principle 1: Perceivable
- Guideline 1.3 Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways without losing information or structure.
  - Success Criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships: Ensure that information and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or available in text.
WCAG Principle 4: Robust
- Guideline 4.1 Compatible: Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies.
  - Success Criterion 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value: Ensure that for all user interface components, the name and role can be programmatically determined, states, properties, and values that can be set by the user can be programmatically set, and notifications of changes are available to user agents, including assistive technologies.

Best Practices for Handling Empty and Nested HTML Divs

Avoid Empty Divs: Remove unnecessary empty <div> elements from your HTML. They do not contribute to the content or structure and can confuse assistive technologies.
```

<div></div>
```

Simplify Nested Structures: Minimize the use of deeply nested <div> elements. Simplify the structure to improve readability and accessibility.

<!-- Avoid this -->
<div>
  <div>
    <div>
      <div>Content</div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<!-- Use this -->
<div>Content</div>

Use Semantic HTML Elements: Replace generic <div> elements with semantic HTML5 elements wherever possible. This adds meaning and improves accessibility.
```
<article>
  <header>Title</header>
  <section>Content</section>
</article>
```

Apply ARIA Roles Appropriately: If an empty or nested <div> must be used, use ARIA roles to provide context for assistive technologies.

<div role="main">
  <div role="article">
    <div role="heading" aria-level="1">Title</div>
    <div>Content</div>
  </div>
</div>

CSS for Layout: Use CSS for layout and styling instead of using empty or nested <div> elements. This separation of content and presentation enhances accessibility.
```
.container {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: space-between;
}
```

Sufficient Techniques and Failures

Technique: Using semantic HTML elements and CSS for layout.

<nav>
  <ul>
    <li>Home</li>
    <li>About</li>
  </ul>
</nav>

<article>
  <header>Title</header>
  <section>Content</section>
</article>

Failure: Using multiple empty and deeply nested <div> elements.

<div>
  <div></div>
  <div>
    <div>
      <div>Content</div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver interpret and vocalize content on web pages. Empty <div> elements can confuse users by indicating content that isn’t there. Overly nested <div> elements can make navigation difficult and reduce the user’s understanding of the page structure.

Conclusion

Empty and nested HTML <div> elements can create significant accessibility challenges. By following WCAG 2.2 guidelines, using semantic HTML elements, and simplifying HTML structures, you can enhance the accessibility and usability of your web content. Ensuring that all elements in your HTML provide meaningful content and structure is crucial for creating an inclusive web experience.

References

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