Figma introduces accessibility inspector with automated ARIA suggestions

Tech · 4 min read

Figma's new inspector embeds accessibility heuristics into the canvas, offering suggested ARIA roles based on element semantics, automatic contrast-aware color swaps, and keyboard focus-path visualizations. The feature integrates with design tokens and variant states so designers can see how accessible their variants are across themes.

The tool is explicitly aimed at shifting accessibility left: instead of relying on post-handoff audits, teams can fix semantic and contrast problems in the design stage. Suggestions are non-destructive: Figma proposes role labels, alternative text prompts for images, and focus order adjustments that designers can accept or customize.

Accessibility leads caution that automation is not a substitute for user testing: suggested roles and alt copy may be wrong if the underlying intent is misunderstood. Still, teams that adopted the inspector report fewer engineering rework cycles and better parity between shipped UI and accessibility documentation in their design systems.