Accessibility Audit

Use this when you need to evaluate a product's accessibility against WCAG 2.2 guidelines, prepare for a compliance review, or identify barriers that prevent users with disabilities from completing core tasks. Produces a severity-scored finding list with remediation priorities and assistive technology test recommendations.

Related skills: Complements /ux-audit (heuristic usability evaluation -- Nielsen, not WCAG). References the accessibility context section in /persona-draft for user-specific accessibility needs. Pair with /design-review for design-level accessibility feedback. Feed findings into /backlog-refine for remediation prioritization.

Process

Step 1: Gather inputs

Ask the user to provide:

1. Product or feature -- what to audit (URL, screenshots, Figma link, or description)
2. Target conformance level -- WCAG 2.2 Level A, AA (most common), or AAA
3. Core user flows -- the 3-5 tasks that matter most (e.g., sign up, complete purchase, search)
4. Known issues -- anything the team already knows is broken
5. User context -- are there known users of assistive technology? Any legal or compliance requirements?
6. Platform scope -- web, iOS, Android, or all

Step 2: Perceivable audit

Evaluate content against WCAG Perceivable principles:

### Perceivable (WCAG 1.x)

| Criterion | Level | Status | Finding |
|-----------|-------|--------|---------|
| 1.1.1 Non-text content (alt text) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 1.3.1 Info and relationships (semantic HTML) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 1.3.5 Identify input purpose (autocomplete) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 1.4.1 Use of color (not sole indicator) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 1.4.3 Contrast (minimum 4.5:1 text, 3:1 large) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 1.4.4 Resize text (up to 200%) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 1.4.11 Non-text contrast (3:1 for UI components) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 1.4.12 Text spacing (customizable without loss) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |

Step 3: Operable audit

### Operable (WCAG 2.x)

| Criterion | Level | Status | Finding |
|-----------|-------|--------|---------|
| 2.1.1 Keyboard accessible (all functions) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 2.1.2 No keyboard trap | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 2.4.3 Focus order (logical sequence) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 2.4.6 Headings and labels (descriptive) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 2.4.7 Focus visible (clear indicator) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 2.4.11 Focus not obscured (minimum) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 2.5.7 Dragging movements (alternative exists) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 2.5.8 Target size (minimum 24x24px) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |

Step 4: Understandable and Robust audit

### Understandable (WCAG 3.x) & Robust (WCAG 4.x)

| Criterion | Level | Status | Finding |
|-----------|-------|--------|---------|
| 3.1.1 Language of page (lang attribute) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 3.2.1 On focus (no unexpected changes) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 3.3.1 Error identification (clear descriptions) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 3.3.2 Labels or instructions (provided) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 3.3.3 Error suggestion (correction offered) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 4.1.2 Name, role, value (ARIA correctness) | A | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |
| 4.1.3 Status messages (announced to AT) | AA | Pass / Fail / Partial | (details) |

Step 5: Findings summary

## Accessibility Audit Summary -- {{product name}}

**Target level:** WCAG 2.2 {{level}}
**Date:** {{date}}
**Scope:** {{flows audited}}

### Findings by severity

| # | Finding | WCAG Criterion | Severity | Flow affected | Remediation |
|---|---------|---------------|----------|--------------|-------------|
| 1 | (description) | (criterion ID) | Critical / Major / Minor | (which flow) | (how to fix) |

### Severity definitions
- **Critical** -- blocks task completion for AT users. Fix before release.
- **Major** -- significant barrier but workaround exists. Fix within current cycle.
- **Minor** -- inconvenience or non-conformance with low user impact. Plan for next cycle.

### Conformance summary
- Level A: (X of Y criteria pass)
- Level AA: (X of Y criteria pass)
- Overall: (Conformant / Partially conformant / Not conformant)

### Recommended AT testing
- **Screen reader:** Test core flows with VoiceOver (macOS/iOS) and NVDA (Windows)
- **Keyboard only:** Complete all core flows without a mouse
- **Zoom:** Test at 200% and 400% browser zoom
- **High contrast:** Test with Windows High Contrast and forced-colors mode

Step 6: Review

Ask the user:

• Do the severity ratings match your team's risk tolerance?
• Are there flows I missed that need assessment?
• Does the team have access to assistive technology for manual testing?
• Is there a compliance deadline driving this work?

Output location

Present the audit as formatted text in the conversation. The findings table can be exported to a spreadsheet or backlog for tracking.