A11y Pass

---
name: a11y-pass
description: >-
  WCAG 2.2 AA fix pass for web UI. Use before shipping, or for requests about
  accessibility, a11y, keyboard navigation, screen readers, contrast, labels,
  focus, landmarks, target size, reduced motion, or ARIA.
---

# Accessibility Pass (WCAG 2.2 AA)

Accessibility means finishing a real task without an avoidable barrier. Repair the failing path;
prove it in the rendered interface.

## Triage one rendered user path

Write one path before opening a checker: **entry → action → result/recovery**. Name outcome,
affected UI, and smallest viewport or assistive setup that exposes failure.

| Path point | Inspect | Repair when it fails |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Entry | landmark, page title, reading order, skip link | give the page a named, reachable start |
| Action | visible focus, native semantics, keyboard order, target size | repair the control before adding ARIA |
| Change | errors, loading, dialogs, live updates, motion | announce the meaningful change without stealing focus |
| Recovery | error copy, focus destination, retained input, retry | return the person to a specific next action |
| Layout | 200% and 400% zoom, reflow, narrow viewport | remove horizontal loss and clipped controls |

Start with native HTML. Use ARIA only for relationships or live behavior native elements
cannot supply. A role, audit score, or automated pass never proves the path.

## Prove the path in the interface

1. Tab forward/back from browser chrome through completion; record order, visible indicator,
   and traps.
2. Trigger failure by keyboard; confirm purposeful focus, programmatic error association,
   and retained data.
3. Read the region with a screen reader or inspect computed name, role, value, state, and
   description; confirm one announcement.
4. Measure the rendered foreground/background pair; test reflow at 200% and 400%, including
   meaningful text over imagery and disabled-looking controls.
5. Repeat animated interactions with reduced motion; the static path still exposes progress
   and completion.

A screenshot supports a claim but cannot prove keyboard order or announcements. Automated
audits find candidates, not path clearance.

## Report a repair ledger

Use this row format for every finding:

| Path / criterion | Observed failure | Repair | Evidence | Residual risk |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Submit → invalid email | focus lands on an unnamed summary; inline error is silent | move focus to named summary, link field error with `aria-describedby`, retain value | keyboard trace; computed accessibility tree; 400% capture | screen-reader wording needs product review |

Separate confirmed defect from design concern. State browser, assistive technology or
inspection method, viewport/zoom, and exact reproduction step. If the artifact is absent,
stop and ask for the rendered path; never invent evidence.

## Delivery/handoff

Prioritize task blockers, frequent-path defects, then polish. Send component lifecycle or
form-state questions to the owning skill when the defect is state design, not WCAG repair.

- [Audit method](references/audit.md)
- [Keyboard and focus helper](assets/audit.js)
- [Decision records](references/decision-records.md)

## Ship check

- [ ] Named path has keyboard, semantic, zoom/reflow, and dynamic-state evidence.
- [ ] Every finding names control/region, repair, and verification result.
- [ ] Automated checks are discovery, not sign-off.
- [ ] Focus, announcements, errors, and reduced-motion behavior have an owner.

## Provenance — standard, not opinion

Grounded in the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level AA — the conformance target named throughout this skill (keyboard, focus, contrast, reflow, target size, reduced motion, error identification, status announcements). Independent Kyanite Labs synthesis of the standard's success criteria, credited — not copied. WCAG 2.2 is a W3C Recommendation; its success criteria are factual conformance requirements. Hand cognitive-load concerns to `cognitive-a11y` (COGA).

<!-- contract:v1:start -->
## Contract (generated)

Canonical detail: [contract.json](contract.json).

- Route: A rendered interface needs WCAG 2.2 AA repair findings verified by keyboard, browser, or measurement.; avoid: The request is only cognitive load or multilingual expansion without an accessibility defect.
- Exclude: Do not self-attest a fix without browser or source evidence. (+1 in contract.json)
- Stop / handoff: Stop when the user path or target artifact is unavailable. (+1 in contract.json); receives [component-states, form-ux, responsive-layout, theming, art-direction, cognitive-a11y, color-system, data-viz, deslop-ui, empty-states, i18n-ready, improve-existing-website, micro-motion, web-typography] -> sends [tastecheck-pass]
- Output: prioritized WCAG repair ledger with measured verification
- Evidence: `table_with_evidence` with `status`, `reason`, `remediation`, `evidence`, `provenance`.
<!-- contract:v1:end -->