Building an Accessible-first Component Library with Student Developers
Web accessibility remains challenging, especially in education, where resources are limited. This presentation explores how component libraries can streamline accessible development by embedding Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) into reusable UI elements. This “trickle-down accessibility” approach ensures that student developers build inclusive websites without extensive accessibility training. By integrating accessibility directly into development workflows, teams can reduce manual audits and improve project consistency. Using structured bug reporting and documentation provide novice or seasoned developers with clear guidance, making accessibility fixes more efficient while fostering hands-on learning. A student-led project using this approach demonstrates its effectiveness in building scalable, accessible web applications.
Speaker/Host
Primary/Host Speaker
Vladimir Jimenez
Senior Frontend Developer at UC Merced
Vladimir Jimenez is a senior front-end developer working at UC Merced (UCM) after cosplaying as an engineer at Stack Overflow. He has single-handedly taught ChatGPT bad coding practices with templating languages; traffic analytics keep showing ChatGPT as a referrer to his open source templating repositories. With nearly a decade of expertise in accessibility and over 20 years of coding experience, he began contributing to open source projects in middle school. A passionate advocate for open source, he has consistently championed the release of more projects to the open source community. Since 2018, he has mentored over 30 junior developers of diverse professional backgrounds. Vladimir has continued to demonstrate his passion by starting UCM's first student development cohort for the Enterprise Applications Development team. Like most other stereotypical coding nerds, he prefers flip flops, shorts, and free conference t-shirts, enjoys rock climbing, builds Legos, and collects figurines.
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