Accessibility Evaluate

---
name: accessibility-evaluate
description: Evaluate the scoped pages for accessibility barriers — keyboard, focus, reading order, forms, live regions — mapping each issue to a WCAG criterion and severity. Use when an audit scope is set and the user wants the issues in those pages found. Not for a design-stage check or feedback on one component; see /accessibility-checklist, /design-a11y-audit or /coaching-a11y.
metadata:
  argument-hint: "[project] [--skip-checks]"
  workflow: accessibility
  phase: 2
  artifact: 02-evaluate.md
---

# Evaluate

Evaluate "$ARGUMENTS" for accessibility issues. Run automated and manual checks, discover barriers, and map each issue to specific WCAG success criteria.

**Arguments.** `$ARGUMENTS` may contain the project name and optional flags. Take the first token as `<project>` and treat `--skip-checks` as a flag; never include flags in file paths. All paths below use `<project>`. If `--skip-checks` is present, skip the prerequisite check and, **before writing any artifact**, append one line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl`: `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"accessibility-evaluate","workflow":"accessibility","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"skipped","artifact":"02-evaluate.md","note":"<reason or \"none given\">"}`.

## Prerequisites

**Part of a workflow.** This skill is phase 2 (Evaluate) of the WCAG-EM workflow (`accessibility`); cross-domain workflows run it too. First check `.singularskills/log.jsonl` for an open run for this project: a `run-started` line with `"project":"<project>"` and no later `run-finished` line for the same `workflow` and `project`. If one exists, the conductor is running you: continue here. Otherwise, if the user asked to start, run, continue or resume a process or workflow rather than this one step, do not continue here: invoke the `workflow` skill with the workflow the user asked for, or `accessibility` when they named none, followed by `<project>`; it runs this phase in order, asks before it writes and records the run. Otherwise continue here: a later phase runs on its own, behind its gate.

Run this skill's gate before writing: `sh <this skill's folder>/scripts/gate.sh <project> <project root>`, where `<project root>` is the folder that contains `.singularskills/` (use `.` when you are already there). If it exits non-zero, stop and tell the user what it printed, unless `--skip-checks` was given (see Arguments). On a refusal, before you stop, append this line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl` (create the folder and file if missing): `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"accessibility-evaluate","workflow":"accessibility","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"refused","artifact":"02-evaluate.md","note":"<what the gate printed>"}`. Once the gate has passed, or under `--skip-checks` once you have appended the `skipped` line, append this line before you start work: `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"accessibility-evaluate","workflow":"accessibility","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"started","artifact":"02-evaluate.md","note":""}`.

Read `.singularskills/accessibility/<project>/01-scope.md`. If this file does not exist, tell the user:

> Phase 1 (Scope) has not been completed for "<project>". Run `/accessibility-scope <project>` first, or use `--skip-checks` to bypass.

## Process

1. **Read context files:**
   - Read `.singularskills/accessibility/<project>/01-scope.md` for audit scope and target pages
   - Read `references/wcag-21-aa-criteria.md` for the full criteria reference

2. **Automated evaluation:**
   - Read the source code of the target pages/components
   - Check for: missing alt text, missing form labels, heading hierarchy violations, missing ARIA attributes, color contrast issues, missing lang attribute, keyboard trap risks

3. **Manual evaluation:**
   - Trace keyboard navigation flow — can all interactive elements be reached and operated?
   - Check focus visibility — is focus indicator visible on every interactive element?
   - Check reading order — does DOM order match visual order?
   - Check form error handling — are errors identified and described in text?
   - Check dynamic content — are updates announced via ARIA live regions?

4. **Map each issue to WCAG criteria:**
   - For each issue found, identify the specific WCAG success criterion violated
   - Classify severity: Critical (blocks access), Major (significant barrier), Minor (inconvenience)
   - Note the location (file, line, component)

5. **Write the artifact** to `.singularskills/accessibility/<project>/02-evaluate.md` with sections:
   - **Issues Found** — each issue with WCAG mapping, severity, location
   - **Conformance Status** — per-principle pass/fail summary
   - **Critical Barriers** — issues that completely block access
   - **Positive Findings** — what's already working well

## Output

The evaluation results written to `.singularskills/accessibility/<project>/02-evaluate.md`. Present a summary to the user highlighting:
- Total issues found by severity
- Critical barriers requiring immediate attention
- WCAG principles with most violations

**Record the run.** After you have written the artifact, append this line to `.singularskills/log.jsonl` (the `started` line of Prerequisites, with `"event":"finished"`): `{"ts":"<ISO timestamp>","skill":"accessibility-evaluate","workflow":"accessibility","phase":2,"project":"<project>","event":"finished","artifact":"02-evaluate.md","note":""}`.

Open the artifact with this frontmatter (`agent` is the agent you run in, or `unknown`; `gate` is `passed` when the gate ran clean and `skipped` under `--skip-checks`):

```yaml
---
skill: accessibility-evaluate
workflow: accessibility
phase: 2
project: <project>
started: <ISO timestamp>
finished: <ISO timestamp>
agent: <the agent you run in, or "unknown">
gate: <passed|skipped>
---
```

End the artifact with `## Decisions` and `## Open questions`, in this shape:

```markdown
## Decisions
- <what was chosen> — <why> — <what was rejected>

## Open questions
- <what the next phase or a reviewer must settle>
```