Accessibility is about providing equivalent experiences. Presentation absolutely matters because bold, italics, etc. are used to indicate context. Markup exists to indicate context, not the other way around.
How familiar are you with ADA 508 and the latest WCAG standards?
No. They are tested standards, and were created based on extensive data and research.
“Strong” and “emphasis” are used for accessibility purposes.
For example, person blind since birth won’t know what “italic” looks like. But they will understand the concept of emphasizing something.
And before you reply to me: I’m talking about compliance standards designed for use throughout the Internet. I’m not just sharing my opinion on this. My opinions are irrelevant. When I work in UX, I follow the standards.
99% of people who say they’re being “devil’s advocate” are actually, in fact, just being assholes
They’re used to indicate context because that’s how the English language works, my dude.
Sure, in other languages they may not be. But it’s universal in many Western languages.