What is the role of semantic HTML in accessible UIs?

• A. It undermines accessibility
• B. It provides structural meaning to content for assistive tech
• C. It is optional if ARIA is used
• D. It should be avoided for performance

Answer: (B)

Semantic HTML provides structural meaning to content that assistive technologies rely on. When you use elements that reflect their purpose—header for the top of a page, nav for navigation, main for the primary content, article or section for content blocks, aside for tangential content, and proper form controls with labels—the browser exposes a meaningful structure in the DOM. Screen readers and other tools can then announce regions, jump to the main content, identify headings, and understand how form fields relate to labels and to each other. This makes navigation, comprehension, and interaction much more reliable for users who rely on assistive tech.

AR IA and other accessibility enhancements can help, but they don’t replace native semantics. Use ARIA to fill gaps only when there isn’t a native semantic element available, because misused ARIA can confuse assistive technologies and reduce accessibility. Relying on semantic HTML first—and reserving ARIA for true gaps—is what makes UIs genuinely accessible.