Semantic Abstraction

The practice of defining interface elements, content, or interactions by their meaning and purpose rather than their specific visual or physical presentation. In accessibility, semantic abstraction is a foundational principle — semantic HTML elements like nav, main, and button convey meaning to assistive technologies regardless of how they are styled, and ARIA roles provide semantic information where native HTML semantics are insufficient. The concept applies broadly across accessible design, from abstract widgets in toolkit architectures to structured document formats that separate content meaning from presentation.