Totally get where you’re coming from! Accessibility can feel like a lot to juggle, especially with React. Here are some thoughts based on what I’ve learned:

Use Semantic HTML First

You’re right about using <a> tags for links! They’re designed to be keyboard-navigable, which is super important. If you need to do some custom stuff on click, you can use an onClick handler but make sure it doesn’t prevent the default action of the link. So, if you’re fetching or updating state, you might do something like this:

    const handleClick = (e) => {
        e.preventDefault(); // Prevents default link behavior
        // Your custom logic here
    };
    
    return <a href="#" onClick={handleClick}>My Link</a>
    

Keyboard Navigation

For keyboard users, make sure they can activate links using the Enter or Space keys. Here’s a simple way to add those key listeners:

    const handleKeyPress = (e) => {
        if (e.key === 'Enter' || e.key === ' ') {
            e.preventDefault();
            handleClick(e); // Call your link function
        }
    };
    
    return <a href="#" onClick={handleClick} onKeyPress={handleKeyPress}>My Link</a>
    

Screen Reader Considerations

For screen readers, it’s super helpful to give context about what your links do. You could use aria-label or ensure your text is descriptive. Instead of just “Click here,” use something like “Fetch latest data” to give users a better idea.

Focus Management

Focus management is key! After a click or action, you might want to programmatically set focus to a relevant section. You can use ref in React to manage focus on specific elements post-action:

    const sectionRef = useRef(null);

    const handleClick = () => {
        // Your logic
        sectionRef.current.focus(); // Sets focus to the specified section
    };
    
    return <a href="#" onClick={handleClick}>My Link</a> <div ref={sectionRef} tabIndex="-1">Content here</div>
    

Testing Accessibility

For testing, try using tools like WAVE or Axe to check for issues. Manual testing with keyboard navigation and using a screen reader (like NVDA or VoiceOver) can also help spot problems.

It’s great that you want to make your app inclusive! Just take it step by step, and you’ll get the hang of it!