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awesome-copilot/instructions/a11y.instructions.md
Scott O'Hara 600cfda900 Clarify accessibility criteria descriptions (#1405) 
* Clarify accessibility criteria descriptions

I have not been able to look through everything in the accessibility instruction file. But the changes I'm submitting attempt to clarify / correct content that needed it.

* Potential fix for pull request finding

Co-authored-by: Copilot Autofix powered by AI <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Apply suggestion from @scottaohara

* Apply suggestion from @scottaohara

---------

Co-authored-by: Copilot Autofix powered by AI <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-04-16 09:24:55 +10:00

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** Comprehensive web accessibility standards based on WCAG 2.2 AA, with 38+ anti-patterns, legal enforcement context (EAA, ADA Title II), WAI-ARIA patterns, and framework-specific fixes for modern web frameworks and libraries.

Accessibility Standards

Comprehensive accessibility rules for web application development. Every anti-pattern includes a severity classification, detection method, WCAG 2.2 reference, and corrective code examples.

Severity levels:

  • CRITICAL — Users cannot access content at all. Must be fixed before merge.
  • IMPORTANT — Significant barrier for assistive technology users. Fix in same sprint.
  • SUGGESTION — Improves usability for assistive technology. Plan for a future iteration.

WCAG 2.2 Quick Reference (AA Level)

Perceivable

Criterion Level Summary
1.1.1 Non-text Content A All non-text content has a text alternative. Decorative images use alt="".
1.2.1 Audio/Video-only A Provide transcript (audio) or text alternative (video).
1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) A All prerecorded video has synchronized captions.
1.3.1 Info and Relationships A Structure (headings, lists, tables, labels, landmarks) programmatically conveyed.
1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence A When the sequence that content is presented affects its meaning, the visual and programmatic ordering of content should align.
1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics A Instructions don't rely solely on shape, size, position, or sound.
1.3.4 Orientation AA Content is not restricted to single orientation unless essential.
1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose AA Input fields have autocomplete attributes when collecting information about the user.
1.4.1 Use of Color A Color is not the only means of conveying info.
1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) AA Text: 4.5:1 normal, 3:1 large (18pt / 14pt bold).
1.4.4 Resize Text AA Text resizable to 200% without loss of content or functionality.
1.4.10 Reflow AA Sections of content can fit within 320px CSS width viewports without needing to scroll in two dimensions to read.
1.4.11 Non-text Contrast AA UI components and graphics: 3:1 against adjacent colors.
1.4.12 Text Spacing AA No loss of content or functionality with user-overridden line-height (1.5x), or specified paragraph spacing, letter spacing, and word spacing adjustments.
1.4.13 Content on Hover/Focus AA Popup content that appears on hover or focus is: dismissible, hoverable, persistent.

Operable

Criterion Level Summary
2.1.1 Keyboard A All functionality operable via keyboard.
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap A User can navigate away from any component using keyboard.
2.2.1 Timing Adjustable A Time limits can be extended or disabled.
2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide A Auto-updating content can be paused.
2.3.1 Three Flashes A No content flashes more than 3 times per second.
2.4.1 Bypass Blocks A Skip link to bypass repeated navigation.
2.4.2 Page Titled A Pages have descriptive <title>.
2.4.3 Focus Order A Focus order preserves meaning and operability.
2.4.4 Link Purpose A Link purpose determinable from text or context.
2.4.6 Headings and Labels AA Headings and labels describe topic or purpose.
2.4.7 Focus Visible AA Keyboard focus indicator is visible.
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured AA Focused element not entirely hidden by other overlaying elements (such as sticky headers or footers). (New in 2.2)
2.5.1 Pointer Gestures A Multi-point gestures have single-pointer alternative.
2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation A Activation on up-event, unless activation can be aborted, reversed, or down-event activation is essential.
2.5.3 Label in Name A Accessible name contains the label text as it is visually presented.
2.5.4 Motion Actuation A Device motion has UI alternative and can be disabled.
2.5.7 Dragging Movements AA Drag-and-drop has click/tap alternative. (New in 2.2)
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) AA Interactive controls have a target size, or spacing of at least 24x24 CSS px. (New in 2.2)

Understandable

Criterion Level Summary
3.1.1 Language of Page A <html lang="..."> set correctly.
3.1.2 Language of Parts AA Content in different language marked with lang attribute.
3.2.1 On Focus A Focus doesn't trigger unexpected context change.
3.2.2 On Input A Changing input doesn't auto-trigger unexpected context change.
3.2.6 Consistent Help A Help mechanisms in same relative order across pages. (New in 2.2)
3.3.1 Error Identification A Errors described to user in text.
3.3.2 Labels or Instructions A Labels or instructions provided for user input.
3.3.3 Error Suggestion AA Suggest corrections for detected errors.
3.3.4 Error Prevention AA Submissions are reversible, checked, or confirmed.
3.3.7 Redundant Entry A Don't re-ask for info already provided in same process. (New in 2.2)
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) AA No cognitive function test (puzzle CAPTCHA). Allow paste and autofill. (New in 2.2)

Robust

Criterion Level Summary
4.1.2 Name, Role, Value A All UI components have accessible name, role, and state.
4.1.3 Status Messages AA Status messages announced by screen readers without receiving focus.

Note: 4.1.1 Parsing is obsolete in WCAG 2.2 (always satisfied). Issues it covered are now addressed by 1.3.1 and 4.1.2.

New AAA criteria in 2.2 (not required for AA, but recommended): 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced), 2.4.13 Focus Appearance, 3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced).

Looking ahead: WCAG 3.0 (W3C Accessibility Guidelines) is in Working Draft (March 2026). It replaces pass/fail with Bronze/Silver/Gold conformance and "Outcomes" instead of "Success Criteria." It is NOT yet a standard — continue targeting WCAG 2.2 AA.

Legal Enforcement Context (2026)

  • European Accessibility Act (EAA): Enforced since June 2025 across all 27 EU member states. Applies to digital products and services. Fines up to EUR 3 million. References EN 301 549 (maps to WCAG 2.1 AA).
  • ADA Title II (US): Digital accessibility rule effective April 2026 for state/local governments serving 50,000+ people (April 2027 for smaller entities). Requires WCAG 2.1 AA.
  • Section 508 (US Federal): References WCAG 2.0 AA (refresh to 2.1/2.2 expected).

Target: WCAG 2.2 AA covers all current legal requirements (superset of 2.1 AA and 2.0 AA).

Five Rules of ARIA

  1. Prefer native HTML — Use <button> not <div role="button">. Native elements have built-in keyboard, focus, and semantics.
  2. Don't change native semantics where prohibited — Don't add role="heading" to a <button>. Use the correct element.
  3. All ARIA controls must be keyboard operable — If role="button", handle Enter and Space key events.
  4. Don't use aria-hidden="true" on focusable elements — Hidden from assistive tech but still focusable creates a "ghost" element.
  5. All interactive elements need an accessible name — Via label, aria-label, aria-labelledby, or visible text content.

Semantic HTML Anti-Patterns (S1-S8)

S1: Missing lang Attribute on <html>

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: <html without lang=
  • WCAG: 3.1.1 (A)
<!-- BAD -->
<html>

<!-- GOOD -->
<html lang="en">

Next.js: Set in app/layout.tsx. Angular: Set in src/index.html. Vue/Nuxt: Set in app.vue or nuxt.config.

S2: Multiple <h1> Per Page

  • Severity: SUGGESTION
  • Detection: Multiple <h1> elements that make the page heading structure unclear
  • WCAG: Best practice (supports 1.3.1)

Prefer one <h1> per page representing the main topic. Use <h2> for sections. Multiple <h1> elements are not a strict WCAG violation but can confuse screen reader navigation.

S3: Heading Level Gaps

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: <h1> followed by <h3> (skipping <h2>)
  • WCAG: 1.3.1 (A)

Maintain logical nesting: h1 > h2 > h3 > h4. Style headings with CSS, not by choosing a different heading level.

S4: Div Soup — No Landmark Elements

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Pages using only <div> without <nav>, <main>, <header>, <footer>
  • WCAG: Best practice (supports 1.3.1, 2.4.1)
<!-- GOOD -->
<header>...</header>
<nav aria-label="Main">...</nav>
<main>...</main>
<footer>...</footer>

S5: Layout Tables Without role="presentation"

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: <table> without <th>, <caption>, or role="presentation"
  • WCAG: 1.3.1 (A)

Use CSS Grid/Flexbox for layout. If table must be used for layout, add role="presentation".

S6: Data Tables Without Headers

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: <table> with data rows but no <th> elements
  • WCAG: 1.3.1 (A)
<!-- GOOD -->
<table>
  <caption>User list</caption>
  <thead>
    <tr><th scope="col">Name</th><th scope="col">Email</th></tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr><td>Alice</td><td>alice@example.com</td></tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

S7: Non-Descriptive Link Text

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: >click here<|>read more<|>learn more<|>here<|>more<|>link<
  • WCAG: 2.4.4 (A)
<!-- BAD -->
<a href="/pricing">Click here</a>

<!-- GOOD -->
<a href="/pricing">View pricing plans</a>

S8: Interactive Elements Without Semantic HTML

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: <div.*(?:onClick|@click|\(click\))
  • WCAG: 4.1.2 (A)
// BAD — not focusable, no role, no keyboard support
<div onClick={handleClick}>Submit</div>

// GOOD
<button onClick={handleClick}>Submit</button>

ARIA Anti-Patterns (A1-A8)

A1: Redundant ARIA on Native Elements

  • Severity: SUGGESTION
  • Detection: <button.*role="button"|<nav.*role="navigation"|<a.*role="link"
  • WCAG: ARIA Rule 2

Remove redundant ARIA. <button> already has role="button".

A2: aria-hidden="true" on Focusable Element

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: aria-hidden="true" on focusable elements (button, input, a, [tabindex])
  • WCAG: ARIA Rule 4

Do not leave focusable elements inside aria-hidden="true" content or use aria-hidden="true" on focusable elements. Rather, for native controls that support it, such as <button> or <input>, use disabled if disabling the control is the intended behavior. For <a> elements or arbitrary elements made focusable with [tabindex], remove focusability instead (for example, remove href or tabindex). If the content should be completely non-interactive and hidden from assistive technology, use inert, hidden, or remove it from the DOM.

A3: Missing Required ARIA Properties

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: role="tab" without aria-selected, role="checkbox" without aria-checked
  • WCAG: 4.1.2 (A)

Required per role: tab needs aria-selected; combobox needs aria-expanded/aria-controls; slider needs aria-valuemin/aria-valuemax/aria-valuenow; checkbox needs aria-checked.

A4: Invalid ARIA Role Values

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: role="[^"]*" with non-existent values
  • WCAG: 4.1.2 (A)

Invalid roles are ignored by assistive technology. Common mistakes: role="input", role="text", misspellings.

A5: ARIA Where Native HTML Works

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: role="button" on <div>, role="checkbox" on <div>
  • WCAG: ARIA Rule 1
<!-- BAD — requires manual keyboard, focus, and state management -->
<div role="checkbox" aria-checked="false" tabindex="0">Accept terms</div>

<!-- GOOD — all behavior built-in -->
<label><input type="checkbox" /> Accept terms</label>

A6: Missing aria-label on Icon-Only Buttons

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: <button with SVG/icon child and no text or aria-label
  • WCAG: 4.1.2 (A)
<!-- GOOD -->
<button aria-label="Close dialog"><svg aria-hidden="true">...</svg></button>

A7: role="presentation" on Focusable Elements

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: role="presentation" on interactive elements
  • WCAG: ARIA Rule 4

Browsers will ignore the presentation role on focusable elements.

A8: Missing Live Region for Dynamic Content

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Toast/notification components without role="alert", role="status", or aria-live
  • WCAG: 4.1.3 (AA)
<!-- GOOD — content announced when content is injected into a preexisting live region element in the DOM -->
<div role="status" aria-live="polite">Item saved successfully</div>
<!-- Use role="alert" (assertive) for errors -->
<div role="alert">Failed to save. Please try again.</div>

Keyboard and Focus Anti-Patterns (K1-K7)

K1: onClick Without onKeyDown on Non-Native Elements

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: (?:onClick|@click|\(click\)) on <div> or <span> without keyboard handler
  • WCAG: 2.1.1 (A)

Use <button> instead. If a div is required: add role="button", tabIndex={0}, handle Enter and Space key activation.

K2: Positive tabindex Values

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: (?:tabindex="[1-9]\d*"|tabIndex=\{[1-9]\d*\})
  • WCAG: 2.4.3 (A)

Only use tabindex="0" (add to tab order) and tabindex="-1" (programmatic focus only).

K3: Focus Trap Without Escape

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: Modal/overlay without Escape key handler or focus trapping
  • WCAG: 2.1.2 (A)

Use native <dialog> with showModal() — it prevents keyboard focus from moving to the inert non-dialog content. Additionally, it has built in Escape key to dismiss, and focus will automatically return to the invoking element (if available). If a custom modal dialog implementation is needed: trap Tab within the dialog or use the inert attribute for non-dialog content (do not use inert on an element that contains the dialog), dismiss on Escape (unless user confirmation of an action is essential), return focus to the trigger element on close, or to best logical location if triggering element is no longer present upon dismissal.

K4: Missing Skip Link

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: No skip link as first focusable element
  • WCAG: 2.4.1 (A)
<a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">Skip to main content</a>
<nav>...</nav>
<main id="main-content" tabindex="-1">...</main>

.skip-link { position: absolute; top: -40px; left: 0; padding: 8px 16px; background: #000; color: #fff; z-index: 100; }
.skip-link:focus { top: 0; }

K5: outline: none Without Replacement

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: outline:\s*none|outline:\s*0\b without :focus-visible replacement
  • WCAG: 2.4.7 (AA)
/* GOOD */
button:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #005fcc; outline-offset: 2px; }

K6: Mouse-Only Interactions

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: onMouseOver|onMouseEnter|@mouseenter without keyboard equivalent
  • WCAG: 2.1.1 (A)

Pair hover with focus events. Use onFocus/onBlur alongside onMouseEnter/onMouseLeave.

K7: Focus Not Returned After Custom Modal Close

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Custom modal dialog close without restoring focus to trigger
  • WCAG: 2.4.3 (A)

Store reference to trigger element or to best logical location if triggering element is no longer present upon close. On modal close, call triggerElement.focus().

Form Anti-Patterns (F1-F6)

F1: Input Without Associated Label

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: <input|<select|<textarea without <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby
  • WCAG: 1.3.1 (A), 3.3.2 (A)
<!-- GOOD -->
<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input id="email" type="email" placeholder="you@example.com" />

F2: Error Messages Not Linked to Input

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: Error elements near inputs without aria-describedby
  • WCAG: 3.3.1 (A)
<input id="email" type="email" aria-describedby="email-error" aria-invalid="true" />
<span id="email-error" class="error">Invalid email format</span>

F3: Required Field Indicated Only by Color or *

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: required or * without aria-required="true" or HTML required
  • WCAG: 3.3.2 (A), 1.4.1 (A)
<label for="name">Name <span aria-hidden="true">*</span></label>
<input id="name" type="text" required />
<p class="form-note">Fields marked * are required</p>

F4: No Error Summary or Focus on First Error

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Form submit handler without focus management on validation failure
  • WCAG: 3.3.1 (A)

On submit failure, focus the first invalid field or show and focus an error summary.

F5: CAPTCHA Without Accessible Alternative

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Puzzle/image CAPTCHAs without fallback; password fields with autocomplete='off' or paste-blocking JavaScript
  • WCAG: 3.3.8 (AA)

Use reCAPTCHA v3 (invisible), hCaptcha accessibility mode, or alternative authentication. Never block paste or autofill on password fields — this violates WCAG 3.3.8.

F6: Placeholder as Label

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: placeholder= without accompanying <label>, aria-label, or aria-labelledby
  • WCAG: 3.3.2 (A)

Always pair placeholder with a visible <label>. Placeholder is a hint, not a label.

Visual and Color Anti-Patterns (V1-V5)

V1: Insufficient Text Contrast

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: Text color combinations below 4.5:1 (normal) or 3:1 (large)
  • WCAG: 1.4.3 (AA)
/* BAD — #999 on #fff is ~2.5:1 */
.text { color: #999; background: #fff; }

/* GOOD — #595959 on #fff is 7.0:1 */
.text { color: #595959; background: #fff; }

V2: Information Conveyed by Color Alone

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: Error/success states distinguished only by color
  • WCAG: 1.4.1 (A)

Add a secondary indicator: icon, text, pattern, underline, or border.

V3: Fixed Font Sizes Preventing Resize

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: font-size:\s*[0-9]*px (excluding root/base)
  • WCAG: 1.4.4 (AA)

Use rem or em for font sizes. Base font can be px, but content fonts should be relative.

V4: Content Not Reflowing at 320px

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Fixed-width containers, horizontal scroll at narrow widths
  • WCAG: 1.4.10 (AA)

Use responsive layouts (Grid, Flexbox). Test at 320px CSS width. Avoid fixed-width containers.

V5: Animation Without prefers-reduced-motion

  • Severity: SUGGESTION
  • Detection: animation:|transition: without prefers-reduced-motion media query
  • WCAG: 2.3.3 (AAA)

Best practice and AAA enhancement. Gate non-essential animations behind prefers-reduced-motion so users who request less motion are not forced to experience interaction-triggered effects.

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference) {
  .card { transition: transform 0.3s ease; }
  .card:hover { transform: scale(1.05); }
}

Media Anti-Patterns (D1-D4)

D1: Informational Image Without Alt Text

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: <img|<Image without alt= attribute
  • WCAG: 1.1.1 (A)

Alt text decision tree: decorative = alt=""; contains text = include that text; functional = describe action; informational = describe content.

D2: Decorative Image with Non-Empty Alt

  • Severity: SUGGESTION
  • Detection: Decorative images with meaningful alt text
  • WCAG: 1.1.1 (A)

Use alt="" for decorative images. Add aria-hidden="true" for decorative SVGs.

D3: Video Without Captions

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: <video without <track kind="captions">
  • WCAG: 1.2.2 (A)
<video src="/tutorial.mp4" controls>
  <track kind="captions" src="/tutorial-en.vtt" srclang="en" label="English" default />
</video>

D4: Audio/Video Autoplay

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: autoplay attribute without muted
  • WCAG: 1.4.2 (A)

Never autoplay audio. If video autoplays, start muted with controls.

Framework-Specific: React / Next.js (RX1-RX4)

RX1: Missing htmlFor on <label>

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: <label.*for=" in JSX (should be htmlFor)
  • WCAG: 1.3.1 (A), 3.3.2 (A)

RX2: SPA Route Change Without Focus Management

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Navigation without focus management or live region
  • WCAG: 4.1.3 (AA)

After route change, focus the main heading or announce the new page title via a live region. Next.js includes a built-in route announcer (since v13) that reads document.title, then <h1>, then pathname. Ensure every page has a unique <title>.

RX3: Fragment Root Causing Focus Loss on Re-render

  • Severity: SUGGESTION
  • Detection: <>...</> root with conditional rendering causing DOM restructuring
  • WCAG: 2.4.3 (A)

Use key prop to preserve DOM identity, or manually restore focus with useRef + useEffect.

RX4: Injected HTML Without ARIA Consideration

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Rich text rendering without accessibility validation
  • WCAG: 1.3.1 (A)

Sanitize and validate injected HTML for heading hierarchy, alt text, and ARIA structure.

Framework-Specific: Angular (NG1-NG4)

NG1: (click) on <div> Without Role and Keyboard Support

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: (click) on <div> or <span> without role=, tabindex, (keydown)
  • WCAG: 2.1.1 (A), 4.1.2 (A)

Use <button>. If div required: add role="button", tabindex="0", (keydown.enter), (keydown.space).

NG2: Missing cdkTrapFocus in Modal Components

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Modal components without cdkTrapFocus
  • WCAG: 2.1.2 (A)
<div class="modal" cdkTrapFocus [cdkTrapFocusAutoCapture]="true">...</div>

Angular CDK's Dialog service handles focus trapping and restoration automatically.

NG3: Route Change Without LiveAnnouncer

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Angular Router navigation without LiveAnnouncer
  • WCAG: 4.1.3 (AA)
router.events.pipe(filter(e => e instanceof NavigationEnd)).subscribe(() => {
  liveAnnouncer.announce(titleService.getTitle(), 'polite');
});

NG4: Template-Driven Forms Without Accessible Validation

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: Forms showing errors without [attr.aria-invalid] or [attr.aria-describedby]
  • WCAG: 3.3.1 (A), 3.3.3 (AA)

Bind [attr.aria-invalid] and [attr.aria-describedby] to form control state.

Framework-Specific: Vue (VU1-VU3)

VU1: @click on Non-Interactive Element Without Role and Keyboard

  • Severity: CRITICAL
  • Detection: @click on <div> or <span> without role=, tabindex, @keydown
  • WCAG: 2.1.1 (A), 4.1.2 (A)

Use <button>. Or add role="button", tabindex="0", @keydown.enter, @keydown.space.prevent.

VU2: v-if Toggle Without Focus Management

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: v-if toggling without managing focus via nextTick
  • WCAG: 2.4.3 (A)
<script setup>
import { ref, watch, nextTick } from 'vue';
const showPanel = ref(false);
const panel = ref(null);
watch(showPanel, async (val) => {
  if (val) { await nextTick(); panel.value?.focus(); }
});
</script>

VU3: v-html Injecting Content Without Accessible Structure

  • Severity: IMPORTANT
  • Detection: v-html rendering user or CMS content
  • WCAG: 1.3.1 (A)

Sanitize and validate HTML for heading hierarchy, alt text, and ARIA structure before injection.

Keyboard Interaction Reference

Key Expected Behavior
Tab Move focus to next focusable element in DOM order
Shift+Tab Move focus to previous focusable element
Enter Activate buttons and links
Space Activate buttons, toggle checkboxes, select radio buttons
Escape Close modals, dialogs, popovers, dropdowns
Arrow Up/Down Navigate within menus, listboxes, radio groups, tabs
Arrow Left/Right Navigate within tab bars, sliders, radio groups
Home Move to first item in list, menu, or tab bar
End Move to last item in list, menu, or tab bar

Widget-Specific Patterns

Widget Tab enters Internal nav Activate Exit
Tab bar Focus active tab Arrow Left/Right automatic or Enter Tab out
Menu Focus first item Arrow Up/Down Enter Escape
Dialog Focus first element Tab cycles within Enter on buttons Escape
Combobox Focus input Arrow Up/Down Enter selects Escape closes
Tree view Focus first node Arrow keys Enter/Space Tab out

Color Contrast Quick Reference

Text Contrast (WCAG 1.4.3 AA)

Text Type Minimum Ratio
Normal text (< 18pt / < 14pt bold) 4.5:1
Large text (>= 18pt / >= 14pt bold) 3:1
Incidental (disabled, decorative) No requirement

Non-Text Contrast (WCAG 1.4.11 AA)

Element Minimum Ratio
UI components (borders, icons) 3:1 against adjacent
Graphical objects 3:1 against adjacent
Focus indicators 3:1 against background

Accessibility Checklist (POUR)

Perceivable

  • All images have appropriate alt text (descriptive or empty for decorative)
  • Videos have synchronized captions
  • Page uses semantic landmarks: <header>, <nav>, <main>, <footer>
  • Headings follow logical hierarchy (h1 > h2 > h3, no gaps)
  • Text contrast meets 4.5:1 (normal) / 3:1 (large)
  • UI component contrast meets 3:1
  • Information not conveyed by color alone
  • Content reflows at 320px without horizontal scroll
  • <html lang="..."> is set correctly
  • Text resizable to 200% without loss of content

Operable

  • All functionality accessible via keyboard
  • No keyboard traps (Escape closes overlays)
  • Skip link provided as first focusable element
  • Focus indicator visible on all interactive elements
  • Focus order matches visual order
  • Focus not obscured by sticky headers/footers
  • Focus returned to trigger after modal close
  • Touch targets at least 24x24 CSS px
  • Animations respect prefers-reduced-motion
  • No content flashes more than 3 times per second

Understandable

  • All form inputs have associated <label> or aria-label
  • Error messages linked to inputs via aria-describedby
  • Required fields indicated with required or aria-required
  • Error summary or focus-on-first-error on submit failure
  • No unexpected context changes on focus or input

Robust

  • All interactive elements have accessible name, role, and state
  • ARIA roles have required properties
  • No aria-hidden="true" on focusable elements
  • Dynamic content announced via live regions
  • SPA route changes announced to screen readers
  • No redundant ARIA on native HTML elements
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