Developing Structured Technical Documentation for Accessibility in Web Applications
Ermel, Alisa (2026)
2026
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202605059333
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202605059333
Tiivistelmä
This product-based thesis addresses the development of structured technical documentation for creating accessible web applications. Web accessibility has become increasingly important, as approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide experience impairments that affect interaction with digital services. Despite the widespread use of the Internet, many websites remain insufficiently accessible for users with auditory, visual, cognitive, and motor limitations. In addition, developers often face difficulties in implementing accessibility due to fragmented resources and the lack of a clear starting point.
The objective of this thesis was to develop comprehensive accessibility guidelines for web developers, facilitating the integration of accessibility across all stages of development in accordance with recognized standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
The theoretical framework defines accessibility in web development, identifies key user groups, and presents established principles and best practices. The empirical work included the analysis of accessibility practices and the development of a prototype web application using React, Vite, and TypeScript exclusively for testing purposes. This enabled the validation of accessibility techniques in practice, ensuring that the recommendations are based on tested solutions. The implementation was evaluated using tools such as WAVE and NVDA.
The final technical documentation was created with Docusaurus, deployed via Vercel, and structured into three stages: before, during, and after development, supported by practical examples and code snippets.
The evaluation involved two professional web developers with more than two years of experience, who reviewed the technical documentation and completed an anonymous survey. The guidelines were assessed as relevant and applicable in practical development contexts, with high ratings for clarity, structure, and usability, achieving an overall score of 8.5 out of 10. Feedback highlighted the value of the staged approach, while also indicating potential improvements in navigation and technical depth.
The results show that the developed documentation provides a clear resource for accessible web development. Overall, it indicates that structured accessibility guidelines can effectively support the development of inclusive web applications.
The objective of this thesis was to develop comprehensive accessibility guidelines for web developers, facilitating the integration of accessibility across all stages of development in accordance with recognized standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
The theoretical framework defines accessibility in web development, identifies key user groups, and presents established principles and best practices. The empirical work included the analysis of accessibility practices and the development of a prototype web application using React, Vite, and TypeScript exclusively for testing purposes. This enabled the validation of accessibility techniques in practice, ensuring that the recommendations are based on tested solutions. The implementation was evaluated using tools such as WAVE and NVDA.
The final technical documentation was created with Docusaurus, deployed via Vercel, and structured into three stages: before, during, and after development, supported by practical examples and code snippets.
The evaluation involved two professional web developers with more than two years of experience, who reviewed the technical documentation and completed an anonymous survey. The guidelines were assessed as relevant and applicable in practical development contexts, with high ratings for clarity, structure, and usability, achieving an overall score of 8.5 out of 10. Feedback highlighted the value of the staged approach, while also indicating potential improvements in navigation and technical depth.
The results show that the developed documentation provides a clear resource for accessible web development. Overall, it indicates that structured accessibility guidelines can effectively support the development of inclusive web applications.