Building Accessible UI with AI from WCAG Compliance Videos

TL;DR: Replay lets you build accessible UI components directly from videos demonstrating WCAG compliance, translating visual demonstrations into functional, compliant code.

Building Accessible UI with AI from WCAG Compliance Videos#

The web should be usable by everyone, regardless of ability. Yet, building accessible user interfaces (UI) often feels like a complex, time-consuming process. We're constantly battling to ensure our applications adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). What if you could show an AI how to build accessible UI, rather than just tell it?

That's the power of Replay.

Replay leverages the power of Gemini to analyze video demonstrations of accessible UI components and automatically generate working code that adheres to WCAG principles. Forget manually translating guidelines into code. Simply record or find a video demonstrating best practices, and let Replay handle the rest. This approach, which we call "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction," uses the video itself as the source of truth, understanding the intended behavior and generating code accordingly.

The Problem: Accessibility is Hard#

Creating accessible UI is more than just adding

tags to images. It requires a deep understanding of WCAG guidelines, ARIA attributes, semantic HTML, and keyboard navigation. Developers often struggle with:

• •Complexity of WCAG: The guidelines are extensive and can be difficult to interpret.
• •Time-consuming manual implementation: Applying accessibility features is often a manual and repetitive process.
• •Maintaining accessibility: Ensuring that UI remains accessible throughout the development lifecycle requires ongoing effort.
• •Lack of readily available, practical examples: Finding clear, concrete examples of accessible UI patterns can be challenging.

Existing screenshot-to-code tools fall short because they only capture the visual aspect of the UI. They don't understand the behavior that makes a UI accessible. Replay, however, analyzes the video of the UI in action, understanding the user's intent and the underlying accessibility principles being demonstrated.

Replay: Video-to-Code Accessibility#

Replay offers a revolutionary approach to building accessible UI. By analyzing video demonstrations of WCAG-compliant components, Replay reconstructs functional, accessible code. This means you can:

• •Learn by example: Use videos of accessible UI patterns as a starting point for your own projects.
• •Automate accessibility implementation: Generate accessible code automatically, saving time and effort.
• •Ensure consistency: Replay consistently applies accessibility principles, ensuring that your UI is accessible across all components.
• •Iterate quickly: Easily experiment with different accessibility approaches and generate code variations.

💡 Pro Tip: When recording your video, be sure to clearly demonstrate keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and other accessibility features. The more comprehensive the demonstration, the better Replay can reconstruct the accessible UI.

Building an Accessible Button with Replay: A Step-by-Step Guide#

Let's walk through a practical example: building an accessible button using Replay. We'll assume you have a video demonstrating a button with proper focus states, keyboard navigation, and ARIA attributes.

Step 1: Upload Your Video to Replay

First, upload your video to Replay. The platform supports various video formats. Replay will begin analyzing the video to understand the button's behavior and visual appearance.

Step 2: Replay Analyzes the Video and Generates Code

Replay uses Gemini to analyze the video, identifying key elements such as:

• •Button text and styling
• •Focus states (outline, background color change)
• •Keyboard navigation (ability to focus on the button using the Tab key)
• •ARIA attributes (e.g.,
  text

  aria-label
  ,
  text

  aria-describedby
  )
• •Click or touch events

Based on this analysis, Replay generates the corresponding HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code.

Step 3: Review and Customize the Generated Code

Once Replay has generated the code, you can review and customize it to meet your specific needs. You might want to:

• •Adjust the styling to match your application's design.
• •Add or modify ARIA attributes.
• •Integrate the button into your existing codebase.

Here's an example of the kind of code Replay might generate:

html
<button class="accessible-button" aria-label="Click me" tabindex="0">
  Click Me
</button>

<style>
.accessible-button {
  background-color: #007bff;
  color: white;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 5px;
  cursor: pointer;
  font-size: 16px;
}

.accessible-button:focus {
  outline: 2px solid #0056b3; /* Clear and visible focus indicator */
}
</style>

<script>
const button = document.querySelector('.accessible-button');

button.addEventListener('click', () => {
  alert('Button clicked!');
});

button.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
    if (event.key === 'Enter' || event.key === ' ') {
      event.preventDefault(); // Prevent scrolling on spacebar
      button.click(); // Simulate a click
    }
  });
</script>

⚠️ Warning: While Replay generates code that adheres to accessibility principles, it's crucial to manually test the generated UI with assistive technologies like screen readers to ensure full accessibility.

Step 4: Integrate the Code into Your Application

Finally, integrate the generated code into your application. You can copy and paste the code directly into your project, or use Replay's Supabase integration to store and manage your UI components.

Advanced Features for Accessibility#

Replay offers several advanced features that further enhance its ability to build accessible UI:

• •Multi-page generation: Replay can analyze videos that demonstrate multi-page flows, generating code for entire accessible user journeys. This is particularly useful for complex forms or e-commerce checkout processes.
• •Style injection: Replay can inject styles to ensure color contrast ratios meet WCAG requirements. It can suggest alternative color palettes that are both visually appealing and accessible.
• •Product Flow Maps: Replay can create visual maps of user flows, highlighting potential accessibility issues and suggesting improvements.

📝 Note: Replay's ability to analyze video allows it to understand nuances that are often missed by static analysis tools. For example, Replay can detect whether a focus indicator is clearly visible and distinguishable from the surrounding elements.

Benefits of Using Replay for Accessible UI Development#

• •Reduced development time: Automate the creation of accessible UI components, freeing up developers to focus on other tasks.
• •Improved accessibility: Ensure that your UI meets WCAG guidelines, providing a better experience for all users.
• •Enhanced consistency: Maintain a consistent level of accessibility across all components of your application.
• •Simplified learning: Learn about accessibility best practices by analyzing video demonstrations of accessible UI patterns.

Replay vs. Traditional Accessibility Tools#

Replay complements existing accessibility tools by providing a proactive approach to accessibility. Instead of identifying accessibility issues after the code has been written, Replay helps you create accessible code from the start.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited features and usage. Paid plans are available for users who need more advanced features or higher usage limits. Check the pricing page for the latest details.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While both tools aim to generate code, Replay uniquely uses video as its primary input, enabling Behavior-Driven Reconstruction. v0.dev relies on text prompts and existing code, lacking the ability to directly interpret user behavior demonstrated in a video. Replay understands what users are trying to achieve, not just what they see on the screen.

What types of videos work best with Replay?#

Videos that clearly demonstrate the intended behavior of the UI component, including keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and focus states, work best. Shorter, focused videos generally produce better results than longer, more complex videos.

What frameworks and libraries does Replay support?#

Replay supports a wide range of frameworks and libraries, including React, Angular, Vue.js, and vanilla JavaScript. The generated code can be easily integrated into any project.

How accurate is the code generated by Replay?#

Replay's accuracy depends on the quality of the input video. While Replay strives to generate accurate and accessible code, it's important to review and test the generated code to ensure that it meets your specific requirements.

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Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.