Build WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA Compliant UIs Faster with Our Free, Certified Accessible React Components

Introduction

Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought—it should be built into your foundation. Today, I’m excited to announce the A11y Pros Accessible Design System, a free, open-source React component library designed and certified by a Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) to meet WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA standards.

Whether you’re building a startup MVP or enterprise application, you now have access to production-ready, fully accessible React components that save development time while ensuring your users—regardless of their abilities—can navigate and interact with your application seamlessly.

What Problem Does This Solve?

Building accessible web applications is complex. Developers face several challenges:

Time constraints: Implementing accessibility from scratch requires extensive knowledge of WCAG guidelines, ARIA patterns, and keyboard navigation
Knowledge gaps: Understanding proper focus management, semantic HTML, and screen reader compatibility isn’t intuitive
Inconsistency: Different developers implementing accessibility differently leads to fragmented user experiences
Compliance risk: Inaccessible applications expose businesses to legal liability and exclude users with disabilities

The A11y Pros Design System addresses all of these by providing pre-built, certified accessible components that follow best practices.

WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA Compliant

Every component has been meticulously crafted to meet WCAG Level AA standards. This means:

Proper ARIA attributes and semantic HTML elements for screen reader support
4.5:1 color contrast ratios for readable text
Complete keyboard navigation support for all interactive elements
Visible focus indicators that meet accessibility standards

Fully Keyboard Navigable

No mouse required. Every component supports:

Tab navigation through interactive elements
Arrow key navigation for complex components (tabs, comboboxes, data tables)
Escape key to dismiss modals and dropdowns
Enter/Space to activate buttons and links

Screen Reader Optimized

Built with semantic HTML and proper ARIA labels, these components work seamlessly with assistive technologies like:

NVDA (Windows)
JAWS (Windows)
VoiceOver (macOS/iOS)
TalkBack (Android)

React 18+ and React 19 Support

Built with modern React, including:

Full TypeScript support
React 18.2.0 and React 19.0.0+ compatibility
Integrates seamlessly with your existing projects

Built-in Light & Dark Mode

Semantic color tokens automatically adapt to light and dark themes while maintaining WCAG AA contrast ratios in both modes. Simply add a data-theme attribute to switch themes.

Accessible to Everyone

Additional features include:

Reduced motion support: Respects prefers-reduced-motion media queries for users with vestibular disorders
High contrast support: Respects prefers-contrast for better visibility
Focus management: Proper focus trapping and restoration for modals
Design token system: Consistent spacing, colors, typography, and motion across components

Available Components

The design system currently includes:

Button: Accessible buttons with variants, sizes, and loading states
Link: Semantic link component with external link detection
Modal: Focus-trapped dialog with full ARIA support
DataTable: Accessible table with keyboard navigation and sorting
Toast: Notification system with ARIA live regions
Tabs: Tab component with arrow key navigation
Accordion: Expandable content sections with keyboard support
Form Components: Input, Textarea, Select, Checkbox, Radio, Fieldset, and Label

Coming soon: DatePicker, Banner, Phone Text Field, and Combobox components.

Getting Started in 3 Steps

1. Install via npm, yarn, or pnpm

bashnpm install @a11ypros/a11y-ui-components

2. Import and Use

jsximport { Button, Modal, DataTable } from '@a11ypros/a11y-ui-components';

function App() {
  return (
    <Button variant="primary" size="medium">
      Click me
    </Button>
  );
}

3. Customize with Design Tokens

jsximport { colors, spacing, typography } from '@a11ypros/a11y-ui-components';

// Use design tokens in your custom components
const MyComponent = () => (
  <div style={{ color: colors.primary[600], padding: spacing[4] }}>
    Custom styled component
  </div>
);

Customization & Design Tokens

The library exports a comprehensive design token system and utility functions:

Available Tokens:

Colors: WCAG AA compliant palettes (primary, neutral, success, warning, error)
Spacing: Consistent spacing scale based on 4px/8px grid
Typography: Font sizes, weights, and line heights
Breakpoints: Responsive design breakpoints
Motion: Animation durations respecting user preferences

Utility Functions:

ARIA helpers: announceToScreenReader, generateAriaLabel
Focus management: trapFocus, restoreFocus, generateFocusRing
Keyboard helpers: handleEscape, handleArrowKeys

You can override default tokens using CSS custom properties in your application’s global stylesheet, perfect for custom branding while maintaining accessibility standards.

Why This Matters for Your Business

Legal Compliance

ADA and WCAG compliance isn’t optional. Inaccessible digital products expose businesses to costly litigation. Using certified accessible components significantly reduces legal risk.

Market Reach

Over 1 billion people worldwide have disabilities. An accessible product reaches a broader audience and improves user retention.

SEO Benefits

Accessible websites score better in search rankings. Screen reader-friendly markup, proper heading hierarchy, and semantic HTML all contribute to improved SEO performance.

Developer Productivity

No need to reinvent the wheel. Pre-built accessible components mean faster development cycles and less time debugging accessibility issues.

Built by an Accessibility Expert

This design system was created and is maintained by a certified WAS (Web Accessibility Specialist) with 10+ years of experience building accessible React applications. Every component includes detailed accessibility documentation, implementation examples, and keyboard interaction patterns.

Note on Implementation: While these components are built with accessibility in mind, simply using them doesn’t guarantee an accessible application. Proper implementation, thoughtful content, and comprehensive testing are essential for true accessibility. The design system provides the foundation—accessibility success requires commitment at every level.

Open Source & Community Driven

The A11y Pros Design System is open source and available on GitHub. We welcome contributions, bug reports, and feature requests from the community.

Resources:

What’s Next?

We’re continuously expanding the component library. Upcoming additions include date pickers, banners, specialized form inputs, and combobox components. All components will maintain our commitment to WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA compliance and certified accessibility practices.

Conclusion

Building accessible applications doesn’t require months of specialized knowledge. With the A11y Pros Accessible Design System, you have a proven, tested foundation for creating inclusive digital experiences. Whether you’re launching a new product or improving an existing one, these components give you confidence that your UI is both functional and accessible.

Get started today:

Install via npm: npm install @a11ypros/a11y-ui-components
Explore the Storybook documentation
Build something accessible

Accessibility is not a feature—it’s a necessity. Let’s build the web together.

Open Source Accessible React Component Library: Introducing the A11Y Pros Design System