---
name: a11y-audit
description: Accessibility audit skill for scanning, fixing, and verifying WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA compliance across React, Next.js, Vue, Angular, Svelte, and plain HTML codebases. Use when auditing accessibili...
---

# Accessibility Audit

WCAG 2.2 Accessibility Audit and Remediation Skill

## Description

The a11y-audit skill provides a complete accessibility audit pipeline for modern web applications. It implements a three-phase workflow -- Scan, Fix, Verify -- that identifies WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA violations, generates exact fix code per framework, and produces stakeholder-ready compliance reports.

For every violation it finds, it provides the precise before/after code fix tailored to your framework (React, Next.js, Vue, Angular, Svelte, or plain HTML).

**What this skill does:**

1. **Scans** your codebase for every WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA violation, categorized by severity (Critical, Major, Minor)
2. **Fixes** each violation with framework-specific before/after code patterns
3. **Verifies** that fixes resolve the original violations and introduces no regressions
4. **Reports** findings in a structured format suitable for developers, PMs, and compliance stakeholders
5. **Integrates** into CI/CD pipelines to prevent accessibility regressions

## Features

| Feature | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| **Full WCAG 2.2 Scan** | Checks all Level A and AA success criteria across your codebase |
| **Framework Detection** | Auto-detects React, Next.js, Vue, Angular, Svelte, or plain HTML |
| **Severity Classification** | Categorizes each violation as Critical, Major, or Minor |
| **Fix Code Generation** | Produces before/after code diffs for every issue |
| **Color Contrast Checker** | Validates foreground/background pairs against AA and AAA ratios |
| **Compliance Reporting** | Generates stakeholder reports with pass/fail summaries |
| **CI/CD Integration** | GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps pipeline configs |
| **Keyboard Navigation Audit** | Detects missing focus management and tab order issues |
| **ARIA Validation** | Checks for incorrect, redundant, or missing ARIA attributes |

### Severity Definitions

| Severity | Definition | Example | SLA |
|----------|-----------|---------|-----|
| **Critical** | Blocks access for entire user groups | Missing alt text, no keyboard access to navigation | Fix before release |
| **Major** | Significant barrier that degrades experience | Insufficient color contrast, missing form labels | Fix within current sprint |
| **Minor** | Usability issue that causes friction | Redundant ARIA roles, suboptimal heading hierarchy | Fix within next 2 sprints |

## Usage

### Quick Start

```bash
# Scan entire project
python scripts/a11y_scanner.py /path/to/project

# Scan with JSON output for tooling
python scripts/a11y_scanner.py /path/to/project --json

# Check color contrast for specific values
python scripts/contrast_checker.py --fg "#777777" --bg "#ffffff"

# Check contrast across a CSS/Tailwind file
python scripts/contrast_checker.py --file /path/to/styles.css
```

### Slash Command

```
/a11y-audit                    # Audit current project
/a11y-audit --scope src/       # Audit specific directory
/a11y-audit --fix              # Audit and auto-apply fixes
/a11y-audit --report           # Generate stakeholder report
/a11y-audit --ci               # Output CI-compatible results
```

### Three-Phase Workflow

**Phase 1: Scan** -- Walk the source tree, detect framework, apply rule set.

```bash
python scripts/a11y_scanner.py /path/to/project --format table
```

**Phase 2: Fix** -- Apply framework-specific fixes for each violation.

> See [references/framework-a11y-patterns.md](references/framework-a11y-patterns.md) for the complete fix patterns catalog.

**Phase 3: Verify** -- Re-run the scanner to confirm fixes and check for regressions.

```bash
python scripts/a11y_scanner.py /path/to/project --baseline audit-baseline.json
```

## Example: React Component Audit

```tsx
// BEFORE: src/components/ProductCard.tsx
function ProductCard({ product }) {
  return (
    <div onClick={() => navigate(`/product/${product.id}`)}>
      <img src={product.image} />
      <div style={{ color: '#aaa', fontSize: '12px' }}>{product.name}</div>
      <span style={{ color: '#999' }}>${product.price}</span>
    </div>
  );
}
```

| # | WCAG | Severity | Issue |
|---|------|----------|-------|
| 1 | 1.1.1 | Critical | `<img>` missing `alt` attribute |
| 2 | 2.1.1 | Critical | `<div onClick>` not keyboard accessible |
| 3 | 1.4.3 | Major | Color `#aaa` on white fails contrast (2.32:1, needs 4.5:1) |
| 4 | 1.4.3 | Major | Color `#999` on white fails contrast (2.85:1, needs 4.5:1) |
| 5 | 4.1.2 | Major | Interactive element missing role and accessible name |

```tsx
// AFTER: src/components/ProductCard.tsx
function ProductCard({ product }) {
  return (
    <a href={`/product/${product.id}`} className="product-card"
       aria-label={`View ${product.name} - $${product.price}`}>
      <img src={product.image} alt={product.imageAlt || product.name} />
      <div style={{ color: '#595959', fontSize: '12px' }}>{product.name}</div>
      <span style={{ color: '#767676' }}>${product.price}</span>
    </a>
  );
}
```

> See [references/examples-by-framework.md](references/examples-by-framework.md) for Vue, Angular, Next.js, and Svelte examples.

## Tools Reference

### a11y_scanner.py

```
Usage: python scripts/a11y_scanner.py <path> [options]

Options:
  --json                  Output results as JSON
  --format {table,csv}    Output format (default: table)
  --severity {critical,major,minor}  Filter by minimum severity
  --framework {react,vue,angular,svelte,html,auto}  Force framework (default: auto)
  --baseline FILE         Compare against previous scan results
  --report                Generate stakeholder report
  --output FILE           Write results to file
  --quiet                 Suppress output, exit code only
  --ci                    CI mode: non-zero exit on critical issues
```

### contrast_checker.py

```
Usage: python scripts/contrast_checker.py [options]

Options:
  --fg COLOR              Foreground color (hex)
  --bg COLOR              Background color (hex)
  --file FILE             Scan CSS file for color pairs
  --tailwind DIR          Scan directory for Tailwind color classes
  --json                  Output results as JSON
  --suggest               Suggest accessible alternatives for failures
  --level {aa,aaa}        Target conformance level (default: aa)
```

## Common Pitfalls

| Pitfall | Correct Approach |
|---------|------------------|
| `role="button"` on a `<div>` | Use native `<button>` -- includes keyboard handling for free |
| `tabindex="0"` on everything | Only interactive elements need focus; use native elements |
| `aria-label` on non-interactive elements | Use `aria-labelledby` pointing to visible text |
| `display: none` for screen reader hiding | Use `.sr-only` class instead |
| Color alone to convey meaning | Add icons, text labels, or patterns alongside color |
| Placeholder as only label | Always provide a visible `<label>` |
| `outline: none` without replacement | Always provide a visible focus indicator via `focus-visible` |
| Empty `alt=""` on informational images | Informational images need descriptive alt text |
| Skipping heading levels (h1 -> h3) | Heading levels must be sequential |
| `onClick` without `onKeyDown` | Add keyboard support or prefer native elements |
| Ignoring `prefers-reduced-motion` | Wrap animations in `@media (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference)` |

## Related Skills

| Skill | Relationship |
|-------|-------------|
| **senior-frontend** | Frontend patterns used in a11y fixes |
| **code-reviewer** | Include a11y checks in code review workflows |
| **senior-qa** | Integration of a11y testing into QA processes |
| **playwright-pro** | Automated browser testing with accessibility assertions |
| **epic-design** | WCAG 2.1 AA compliant animations and scroll storytelling |
| **tdd-guide** | Test-driven development patterns for a11y test cases |

## Reference Documentation

| Reference | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| [wcag-quick-ref.md](references/wcag-quick-ref.md) | WCAG 2.2 Level A & AA criteria quick reference |
| [wcag-22-new-criteria.md](references/wcag-22-new-criteria.md) | New WCAG 2.2 success criteria (Focus Appearance, Target Size, etc.) |
| [aria-patterns.md](references/aria-patterns.md) | ARIA patterns, keyboard interaction, and live regions |
| [framework-a11y-patterns.md](references/framework-a11y-patterns.md) | Framework-specific fix patterns (React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, HTML) |
| [color-contrast-guide.md](references/color-contrast-guide.md) | Color contrast checker details, Tailwind palette mapping, sr-only class |
| [ci-cd-integration.md](references/ci-cd-integration.md) | GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, pre-commit hook configs |
| [audit-report-template.md](references/audit-report-template.md) | Stakeholder-ready audit report template |
| [testing-checklist.md](references/testing-checklist.md) | Manual testing checklist (keyboard, screen reader, visual, forms) |
| [examples-by-framework.md](references/examples-by-framework.md) | Full audit examples for Vue, Angular, Next.js, and Svelte |

## Resources

- [WCAG 2.2 Specification](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/)
- [WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices 1.2](https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/)
- [Deque axe-core Rules](https://github.com/dequelabs/axe-core/blob/develop/doc/rule-descriptions.md)
- [eslint-plugin-jsx-a11y](https://github.com/jsx-eslint/eslint-plugin-jsx-a11y)