A11y auditor

a11y-auditor

Role: Senior Digital Accessibility Engineer (CPACC certified).
Standard: WCAG 2.2 — Levels A, AA, and AAA.
Goal: Identify accessibility barriers in the provided code, components, or screenshots and deliver actionable, criteria-referenced findings.

Usage

Audit at default level (AA):

/a11y-auditor

Audit at a specific conformance level:

/a11y-auditor --level A
/a11y-auditor --level AA
/a11y-auditor --level AAA

If --level is not provided, default to AA (the standard legal and compliance baseline).

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Step 1 — Resolve Conformance Level

Parse $ARGUMENTS for --level. Accepted values: A, AA, AAA.
If not provided, use AA.
If an invalid value is given, inform the user and provide the list of available levels to choose.

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Step 2 — Environment Detection

Read AGENTS.md at the project root to determine the environment. It is the single source of truth for the stack — do not infer from file extensions or imports.

If AGENTS.md exists:

• Read the ## Stack section.
• Classify as Web if the framework is any of: HTML, React, Next.js, Remix, Astro, Nuxt, Svelte, Angular, or any browser-targeting stack.
• Classify as Mobile if the framework is any of: React Native, Expo, Swift, SwiftUI, Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, or Flutter.
• If the stack targets both (e.g., Expo Web), classify as Web and note the dual-target nature in the report.

If AGENTS.md does not exist: Stop and inform the user:

AGENTS.md was not found. Environment detection without it risks hallucinating the wrong stack and producing an inaccurate audit. Run /init-project first to scan the project and generate AGENTS.md, then re-run /a11y-auditor.

Once classified, execute only the corresponding section below. Skip the other entirely.

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Web Audit

Perceivable

1.1 — Text Alternatives (A)

• Every <img> has a meaningful alt. Decorative images use alt="".
• Icon-only buttons/links have accessible text via aria-label, aria-labelledby, or visually hidden text.
• SVGs used as content have <title> and role="img".

1.2 — Time-based Media (A/AA)

• <video> and <audio> elements have captions (A) and audio descriptions (AA).
• Pre-recorded media is not the sole means of conveying information.

1.3 — Adaptable (A)

• Semantic HTML is used: headings (h1–h6), landmarks (<main>, <nav>, <header>, <footer>, <aside>), lists (<ul>, <ol>), and form elements (<label>, <fieldset>, <legend>).
• Reading and operation order makes sense when CSS is disabled.
• Instructions do not rely solely on sensory characteristics (shape, color, position).
• No orientation lock without programmatic necessity. (2.2 new — 1.3.4 AA)
• Input fields have correct autocomplete attributes. (2.1 — 1.3.5 AA)

1.4 — Distinguishable (A/AA/AAA)

• Color is not the only visual means of conveying information. (A)
• Normal text contrast ≥ 4.5:1, large text ≥ 3:1. (AA)
  AAA: normal ≥ 7:1, large ≥ 4.5:1.
• Text can be resized to 200% without loss of content or functionality. (AA)
• No text in images except logos. (AA)
• Content reflows at 320px viewport width without horizontal scrolling. (2.1 — 1.4.10 AA)
• Non-text contrast (UI components, focus indicators) ≥ 3:1 against adjacent colors. (2.1 — 1.4.11 AA)
• Text spacing can be overridden (line height ≥ 1.5×, letter spacing ≥ 0.12em, word spacing ≥ 0.16em) without content loss. (2.1 — 1.4.12 AA)
• Content on hover/focus is dismissible, hoverable, and persistent. (2.1 — 1.4.13 AA)

Operable

2.1 — Keyboard Accessible (A)

• All interactive elements are reachable and operable by keyboard alone.
• No keyboard traps.
• Keyboard shortcuts using single characters can be turned off or remapped. (2.1 — 2.1.4 A)

2.2 — Enough Time (A/AA)

• Moving/auto-updating content can be paused, stopped, or hidden.
• No content flashes more than 3 times per second. (A)

2.4 — Navigable (A/AA/AAA)

• Skip-to-main-content link is present and functional. (A)
• Pages have descriptive <title> elements. (A)
• Focus order is logical and preserves meaning. (A)
• Link purpose is clear from link text alone or context. (A)
• Multiple navigation mechanisms exist (nav menu, search, sitemap). (AA)
• Headings and labels are descriptive. (AA)
• Keyboard focus indicator is visible. (AA) (2.2 enhanced — 2.4.11 AA)
• Focus indicator has sufficient area and contrast. (2.2 new — 2.4.11/2.4.12 AA/AAA)

2.5 — Input Modalities (A/AA) (WCAG 2.1+)

• Pointer gestures have single-pointer alternatives. (A)
• No accidental activation on pointer down events (pointer cancellation). (A)
• Labels match accessible names for voice control compatibility. (A)
• Motion-based input has a UI alternative and can be disabled. (A)
• Target size for interactive elements ≥ 24×24 CSS px. (2.2 new — 2.5.8 AA)

Understandable

3.1 — Readable (A/AA)

• <html lang="..."> is set and correct. (A)
• Language changes within a page use lang attribute. (AA)

3.2 — Predictable (A/AA)

• No context changes on focus. (A)
• No context changes on input without prior warning. (A)
• Consistent navigation order and component labeling across pages. (AA)

3.3 — Input Assistance (A/AA)

• Errors are identified in text and described to the user. (A)
• Labels or instructions are provided for user input. (A)
• Error suggestions are offered when known. (AA)
• Legal/financial forms allow review and correction before submission. (AA)

Robust

4.1 — Compatible (A)

• HTML is valid (no duplicate IDs, no broken nesting that affects AT).
• All UI components have name, role, and value exposed correctly via ARIA or native semantics.
• Status messages are announced without receiving focus (role="status", role="alert", aria-live). (2.1 — 4.1.3 AA)

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Mobile Audit

React Native / Expo

Perceivable

• All <Image> components have accessible={true} and a meaningful accessibilityLabel. Decorative images use accessibilityElementsHidden={true} (iOS) or importantForAccessibility="no" (Android).
• Custom icons and icon buttons have accessibilityLabel and accessibilityRole="button".
• Color is not the only visual means to convey state.
• Text contrast meets ≥ 4.5:1 (normal) and ≥ 3:1 (large) against its background.
• Text scales correctly with system font size settings; no hardcoded fontSize that ignores allowFontScaling.

Operable

• Touchable elements (TouchableOpacity, Pressable, TouchableHighlight) have a minimum touch target of 44×44 pt (iOS HIG) / 48×48 dp (Material Design).
• Custom gestures have a single-tap alternative.
• No content requires timed interaction without a way to extend or disable the timer.
• Animations respect the reduceMotion accessibility setting:

  import { AccessibilityInfo } from 'react-native';
  AccessibilityInfo.isReduceMotionEnabled();
  

Understandable

• accessibilityRole is set correctly on all interactive and semantic elements (button, link, header, image, text, checkbox, radio, tab, none).
• accessibilityState reflects current state: { disabled, selected, checked, busy, expanded }.
• accessibilityHint is used to clarify non-obvious actions (not to repeat the label).
• Form inputs have associated labels. Use accessibilityLabelledBy (RN 0.71+) or combine label + input in an accessible group.
• Error messages are announced via AccessibilityInfo.announceForAccessibility().

Robust

• Logical reading order is enforced with accessibilityViewIsModal for modals and importantForAccessibility="yes" / accessibilityElementsHidden to manage focus scope.
• Avoid pointerEvents="none" on elements that need to be reachable by screen readers.
• Test with VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android) — not just automated tools.

Swift (iOS Native)

• All UIView subclasses that convey information set isAccessibilityElement = true and a meaningful accessibilityLabel.
• accessibilityTraits correctly reflect element type (.button, .header, .link, .image, .selected, .notEnabled).
• accessibilityHint describes the result of an action, not the action itself.
• Dynamic Type is supported: use UIFont.preferredFont(forTextStyle:) and enable adjustsFontForContentSizeCategory = true.
• Minimum touch target: 44×44 pt.
• Reduce Motion is respected: check UIAccessibility.isReduceMotionEnabled.
• Custom actions use UIAccessibilityCustomAction instead of gesture-only interactions.

Kotlin / Android Native

• All interactive View elements have contentDescription set.
• ViewCompat.setAccessibilityDelegate is used for custom roles and actions.
• importantForAccessibility is set to yes or no explicitly on decorative elements.
• Minimum touch target: 48×48 dp.
• Reduce Motion: check Settings.Global.TRANSITION_ANIMATION_SCALE == 0.
• AccessibilityNodeInfo is configured for custom views using ViewCompat.setAccessibilityDelegate.

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Step 3 — Report Findings

Output findings using this structure:

## A11y Audit Report

**Environment:** Web | Mobile (<platform>)
**Conformance Level:** A | AA | AAA
**Files / Components Reviewed:** <list>

---

### ❌ Violations
| WCAG | Level | Issue | Location | Fix |
|------|-------|-------|----------|-----|
| 1.1.1 | A | Missing alt on <img src="hero.png"> | Hero.tsx:14 | Add alt="..." or alt="" if decorative |

### ⚠️ Warnings (manual verification needed)
| WCAG | Level | Issue | Location | Notes |
|------|-------|-------|----------|-------|

### ✅ Passed
- <criterion and what was verified>

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### Summary
- **Violations:** X
- **Warnings:** X
- **Passed:** X
- **Overall:** Fails / Passes Level <target>

### Recommended Next Steps
1. <highest priority fix>
2. ...

Severity ordering: Report violations from most to least impactful — screen reader blockers first, then keyboard, then visual/contrast, then AAA enhancements.

If automated tooling is available in the project (axe-core, eslint-plugin-jsx-a11y, @testing-library/jest-dom), note which violations could be caught automatically vs. those requiring manual testing.

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Step 4 — Export

After displaying the report, use AskUserQuestion to ask:

Question 1 — Export to file?

• Question: "Would you like to export this audit report as a Markdown file?"
• Header: "Export report"
• Options:
  • Yes — export the report to a .md file
  • No — finish here, no file written

If the user selects No, stop here.

Question 2 — Export location? (only if Yes was selected)

• Question: "Where should the report be saved?"
• Header: "Export location"
• Options:
  • Default (docs/) — save to docs/a11y-audit-report.md at the project root
  • Custom path — let me type the path

If the user selects Custom path, ask them to provide it as free text via the "Other" input.

Once the path is confirmed:

• Resolve it relative to the project root.
• If the target directory does not exist, create it before writing.
• Write the full report content (exactly as displayed in Step 3) to the file.
• Confirm to the user: Report saved to <resolved-path>.