♿ live region

static/css/style.css

@@ -65,6 +65,19 @@ body {
     background-color: var(--color-background);
 }
 
+/* Screen reader only content - visually hidden but accessible to assistive technologies */
+.sr-only {
+    position: absolute;
+    width: 1px;
+    height: 1px;
+    padding: 0;
+    margin: -1px;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    clip: rect(0, 0, 0, 0);
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    border-width: 0;
+}
+
 /* Focus indicators for accessibility */
 a:focus,
 button:focus,

static/js/comic-nav.js

@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@
         const title = comic.title || `#${comic.number}`;
         currentComicNumber = comic.number;
 
+        // Announce comic change to screen readers
+        const announcer = document.getElementById('comic-announcer');
+        if (announcer) {
+            announcer.textContent = `Loaded comic ${title}, dated ${comic.formatted_date || comic.date}`;
+        }
+
         // Update container class for full-width option
         const container = document.querySelector('.comic-container');
         if (comic.full_width) {
@@ -244,12 +250,16 @@
             return;
         }
 
+        const announcer = document.getElementById('comic-announcer');
+
         switch(event.key) {
             case 'ArrowLeft':
                 // Previous comic
                 if (currentComicNumber > 1) {
                     event.preventDefault();
                     loadComic(currentComicNumber - 1);
+                } else if (announcer) {
+                    announcer.textContent = 'Already at the first comic';
                 }
                 break;
             case 'ArrowRight':
@@ -257,6 +267,8 @@
                 if (currentComicNumber < totalComics) {
                     event.preventDefault();
                     loadComic(currentComicNumber + 1);
+                } else if (announcer) {
+                    announcer.textContent = 'Already at the latest comic';
                 }
                 break;
             case 'Home':
@@ -264,6 +276,8 @@
                 if (currentComicNumber > 1) {
                     event.preventDefault();
                     loadComic(1);
+                } else if (announcer) {
+                    announcer.textContent = 'Already at the first comic';
                 }
                 break;
             case 'End':
@@ -271,6 +285,8 @@
                 if (currentComicNumber < totalComics) {
                     event.preventDefault();
                     loadComic(totalComics);
+                } else if (announcer) {
+                    announcer.textContent = 'Already at the latest comic';
                 }
                 break;
         }

templates/comic.html

@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 {% block og_image %}{{ site_url }}/static/images/thumbs/{{ comic.filename }}{% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
+<!-- ARIA live region for screen reader announcements -->
+<div aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true" class="sr-only" id="comic-announcer"></div>
+
 <div class="comic-container{% if comic.full_width %} comic-container-fullwidth{% endif %}{% if comic.plain %} comic-container-plain{% endif %}" data-comic-number="{{ comic.number }}" data-total-comics="{{ total_comics }}">
     {% if not comic.plain %}
     <div class="comic-header">

templates/index.html

@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 {% endif %}
 
 {% block content %}
+<!-- ARIA live region for screen reader announcements -->
+<div aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true" class="sr-only" id="comic-announcer"></div>
+
 <div class="comic-container" data-comic-number="{{ comic.number }}" data-total-comics="{{ total_comics }}">
     <div class="comic-header">
         <h1>{{ comic.title if comic.title else '#' ~ comic.number }}</h1>
@@ -34,17 +37,17 @@
                 {# Icon-based navigation #}
                 {% if comic.number > 1 %}
                     <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=1) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="First">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/first.png') }}" alt="First">
+                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/first.png') }}" alt="">
                     </a>
                     <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number - 1) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="Previous">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/previous.png') }}" alt="Previous">
+                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/previous.png') }}" alt="">
                     </a>
                 {% else %}
-                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="First">
+                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="First" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/first.png') }}" alt="First">
+                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/first.png') }}" alt="">
                     </span>
-                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Previous">
+                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Previous" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/previous.png') }}" alt="Previous">
+                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/previous.png') }}" alt="">
                     </span>
                 {% endif %}
 
@@ -52,17 +55,17 @@
 
                 {% if comic.number < total_comics %}
                     <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number + 1) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="Next">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/next.png') }}" alt="Next">
+                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/next.png') }}" alt="">
                     </a>
                     <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=total_comics) }}" class="btn-icon-nav" aria-label="Latest">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/latest.png') }}" alt="Latest">
+                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/latest.png') }}" alt="">
                     </a>
                 {% else %}
-                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Next">
+                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Next" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/next.png') }}" alt="Next">
+                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/next.png') }}" alt="">
                     </span>
-                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Latest">
+                    <span class="btn-icon-nav btn-icon-disabled" aria-label="Latest" aria-disabled="true">
-                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/latest.png') }}" alt="Latest">
+                        <img src="{{ url_for('static', filename='images/icons/latest.png') }}" alt="">
                     </span>
                 {% endif %}
             {% else %}
@@ -71,8 +74,8 @@
                     <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=1) }}" class="btn btn-nav">First</a>
                     <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number - 1) }}" class="btn btn-nav">Previous</a>
                 {% else %}
-                    <span class="btn btn-nav btn-disabled">First</span>
+                    <span class="btn btn-nav btn-disabled" aria-disabled="true">First</span>
-                    <span class="btn btn-nav btn-disabled">Previous</span>
+                    <span class="btn btn-nav btn-disabled" aria-disabled="true">Previous</span>
                 {% endif %}
 
                 <span class="comic-date-display">{{ comic.formatted_date }}</span>
@@ -81,8 +84,8 @@
                     <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=comic.number + 1) }}" class="btn btn-nav">Next</a>
                     <a href="{{ url_for('comic', comic_id=total_comics) }}" class="btn btn-nav">Latest</a>
                 {% else %}
-                    <span class="btn btn-nav btn-disabled">Next</span>
+                    <span class="btn btn-nav btn-disabled" aria-disabled="true">Next</span>
-                    <span class="btn btn-nav btn-disabled">Latest</span>
+                    <span class="btn btn-nav btn-disabled" aria-disabled="true">Latest</span>
                 {% endif %}
             {% endif %}
         </div>