ss-a11y

Original skill document

Rendered from the source repository. Headings, examples, code, tables, links, and referenced images are preserved.

Accessibility Audit

Registry-first artifact boundary

When .styleseed/project.json and .styleseed/artifacts/index.json exist, resolve the requested artifact ID first, then read only .styleseed/bundles/<artifact-id>.md and .styleseed/manifests/<artifact-id>.json. Never fall back to the global legacy bundle for a registry project. Legacy projects may use .styleseed/effective-rules.md only when no registry exists.

When NOT to use

For general design system compliance review → use /ss-review
For Nielsen UX heuristics → use /ss-audit
For non-StyleSeed code (no data-slot, no semantic tokens) — assumes StyleSeed conventions
For runtime testing — this is a static code audit, not a screen-reader simulation

Target: $ARGUMENTS

Audit Criteria

WCAG 2.2 AA Compliance

1. Perceivable

Color contrast: Text must meet 4.5:1 (normal) or 3:1 (large/bold text)
Check text-muted-foreground (#717182) on bg-background (#FFFFFF) = 4.6:1 (passes)
Check text-brand on white (verify contrast with your skin's brand color)
Flag any custom colors that don't meet ratio
Non-text contrast: UI controls/graphics must meet 3:1
Text alternatives: All <img> need alt, icons need aria-label when meaningful
Color independence: Don't convey info by color alone (add icons/text)

2. Operable

Touch targets: Minimum 44x44px (min-h-11 min-w-11) on touch surfaces
Flag undersized touch hit areas, not approved pointer-first desktop controls merely for being 36–40px tall
Pointer-first controls follow the resolved contract; preserve keyboard access and applicable accessibility floors
Icon buttons need an explicit hit area appropriate to the input mode
Keyboard navigation: All interactive elements must be keyboard-accessible
Tab order should be logical
focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring focus-visible:ring-offset-2
Motion: Animations must respect prefers-reduced-motion

css

  @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
    *, *::before, *::after {
      animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
      transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    }
  }

3. Understandable

Labels: Form inputs must have visible labels or aria-label
Error messages: Form errors must be programmatically associated (aria-describedby)
Language: <html lang="en"> (or appropriate language code for your project)

4. Robust

Semantic HTML: Use appropriate elements (<button>, <nav>, <main>, <header>)
ARIA: Use Radix UI components (they handle ARIA automatically)
Roles: Custom interactive elements need proper role attributes

Design System Token Reference

Token	Minimum Contrast	Note
`--foreground`	7:1+	Body text — verify with your skin
`--muted-foreground`	4.5:1+	Secondary text — verify with your skin
`--brand`	4.5:1+	Accent — verify with your skin's brand color
`--destructive`	4.5:1+	Error — verify with your skin
`--success`	3:1+	Large text/icons only — verify with your skin
`--warning`	4.5:1+	Warning text — some skins need a darker variant

Output

Issues found: List with severity (Critical/Major/Minor)
Auto-fixes: Apply fixes directly where possible
Manual review needed: Flag items that need human judgment