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Using Cursor AI to Build Accessible Components: A Developer’s Guide
Mastering accessibility: enhancing components with Cursor AI.
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Accessibility in development goes beyond compliance—it’s about creating a web that everyone can use and enjoy. While ensuring your components meet WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards can feel daunting, tools like Cursor AI make the process more streamlined and effective. In this guide, we’ll explore how developers can partner with Cursor AI to craft accessible React components with confidence.
Accessibility is about inclusivity—ensuring your application is open to everyone, regardless of ability. While visual elements like color contrast often take center stage, true accessibility goes deeper. Keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and correctly implemented ARIA roles are all essential to providing a fully inclusive user experience. These thoughtful details aren’t just best practices—they’re what make the web work for everyone.
Cursor AI is like having an accessibility expert right in your development environment. It empowers developers by:
Let’s walk through an example to see how Cursor AI can enhance a React component in real-time.
We’ll start with a simple, accessible card component. (See the code example below for reference.)
import React from 'react';
import './AccessibleCard.css';
const AccessibleCard: React.FC<AccessibleCardProps> = ({
title,
description,
imageUrl,
imageAlt,
}) => {
return (
<article className="card" tabIndex={0} role="article">
{imageUrl && <img src={imageUrl} alt={imageAlt} className="card-image" />}
<div className="card-content">
<h2 id="card-title" className="card-title">
{title}
</h2>
<p className="card-description">{description}</p>
</div>
</article>
);
};
export default AccessibleCard;
This component works and has a good foundation for accessibility, but there’s definitely room for improvement. For example, it could benefit from stronger keyboard support and better screen reader compatibility.
After building the initial component, you can ask Cursor AI to enhance its accessibility. For example, you might use a prompt like: "Enhance the accessibility of this card component. Ensure it supports better screen reader interaction, adds meaningful ARIA roles, and handles focus states effectively."
Cursor AI can analyze the component and suggest improvements such as better keyboard handling, updated ARIA attributes, and fallback options for missing content. (See the enhanced component code example below for details.)
import React from 'react';
import './AccessibleCard.css';
const AccessibleCard: React.FC<AccessibleCardProps> = ({
title,
description,
imageUrl,
imageAlt,
onClick,
}) => {
return (
<article
className="card"
tabIndex={0}
role="button"
aria-labelledby="card-title"
aria-describedby="card-description"
onClick={onClick}
onKeyDown={(e) => {
if (e.key === 'Enter' || e.key === ' ') {
onClick?.();
}
}}
>
{imageUrl && <img src={imageUrl} alt={imageAlt || 'Card image'} className="card-image" />}
<div className="card-content">
<h2 id="card-title" className="card-title">
{title}
</h2>
<p id="card-description" className="card-description">
{description}
</p>
</div>
</article>
);
};
export default AccessibleCard;
Here’s a quick rundown of how Cursor AI upgraded the component:
With Cursor AI, accessibility becomes less about trial and error and more about implementing best practices confidently and efficiently.
Once you’ve applied the accessibility enhancements, thorough testing is the key to ensuring everything works as intended. Here’s how to validate your component:
Cursor AI revolutionizes the way we build accessible components. By analyzing and enhancing your code, it simplifies the process of meeting WCAG standards while minimizing the risk of errors.
With Cursor AI, accessibility becomes a seamless part of your development workflow rather than an overwhelming task. Start with a simple component, and let AI guide you in refining it for inclusivity.
Accessible development is no longer optional—it’s essential for creating high-quality software. Tools like Cursor AI empower you to meet accessibility standards efficiently and effectively. By embedding accessibility into your workflow, you’re not just building for today—you’re creating better experiences for all users.