What if your GraphQL schema could do more than provide data? What if it could help your app be more accessible from the start? In this lightning talk, we'll explore an innovative idea of embedding accessibility metadata directly into GraphQL schemas. Inspired by using Kotlin semantics in Jetpack Compose, imagine annotating fields with labels, roles, or screen reader hints that can be used to support screen readers, improve navigation, and even power automated accessibility testing. By adding custom accessibility annotations, tools could generate more accessible UI components, which enhances both the developer experience and the user experience. This is a call to rethink the developer experience and treat accessibility as a first-class concern. Let's reimagine GraphQL not just as a data layer, but as an inclusive design enabler.
The New York Times, Android Engineer
Vanessa Johnson is an Android Engineer at The New York Times working on the Games Android app. She loves building mobile apps and any technical topics she finds interesting. She is passionate about accessibility, is working on various side projects, and has a newsletter & an upcoming podcast. When she isn’t coding she is usually playing pickup basketball or watching a horror movie.
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