accessibility-wcag-2-2-compliance

name	accessibility-wcag-2-2-compliance
description	Use when designing or auditing an interactive UI for WCAG 2.2 AA, keyboard and focus behaviour, accessible names, screen readers, target size, reflow, authentication, or reduced motion. Use inclusive-and-assistive-design for needs beyond the compliance floor.
metadata	{"portable":true,"category":"00-cross-cutting-ops-qa-a11y","compatible_with":["claude-code","codex"]}

Accessibility — WCAG 2.2 Compliance (Build + Audit)

This skill operationalizes the engine's accessibility floor into a repeatable build-then-audit workflow. It does not restate the criteria — the canonical, versioned list of success criteria (the 9 new in 2.2, the perennial AA checklist, the contrast method note, the testing note) lives in doctrine/references/wcag-2.2-criteria.md. Read that file first; this skill tells you how to apply it to real components.

AA is the floor for all Chwezi work; reach AAA where feasible (per the doctrine). Accessibility is not a colour concern or a final pass — it is a cross-cutting constraint that co-activates with every group and is enforced one last time by design-qa-and-pre-launch-review.

Use When

• Building any interactive component (modal, menu, combobox, tabs, accordion, dialog, form, toast, carousel, data table) — wire focus, ARIA, and keyboard as you build, not after.
• Reviewing or auditing an existing screen for WCAG 2.2 AA conformance.
• A request mentions: focus order/visibility, keyboard operability, tab traps, ARIA, accessible names, screen-reader testing, target size, dragging alternatives, redundant entry, accessible authentication, reduced motion, reflow, or 200% zoom.
• The UI uses Apple Liquid Glass, SF Symbols, App Intents surfaces, widgets, or iOS/iPadOS/macOS chrome that must pass VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, and Reduce Motion checks.
• Certifying that a deliverable meets the AA floor before ship (alongside the QA gate).

Do Not Use When

• The work is purely colour contrast / non-colour cues / colour-blind ramps → use 02-color-brand-and-visual-identity/accessible-color-and-contrast (this skill cites it for 1.4.3/1.4.11 but does not own palette construction).
• The work is performance budgets / Core Web Vitals → performance-as-ux-and-core-web-vitals.
• The work is error/empty copy wording → 10-content-design-and-ux-writing/error-empty-and-system-messaging (this skill checks that errors are programmatically associated, not how they are phrased).
• You only need the final pre-launch gate that composes a11y + slop + perf → design-qa-and-pre-launch-review (it calls this skill in).

Inputs

Artefact or context	Source	Required?	Why
Interactive component or flow	User or project	yes	Defines applicable criteria and interactions
Rendered semantics and target platforms	Build	required for audit	Enables keyboard and assistive-technology checks
Conformance target	Product or compliance owner	yes	Defaults to WCAG 2.2 AA

• The component(s) or screen under work, with their interaction model (what is clickable, draggable, focusable, dynamic).
• The rendered markup / framework (HTML, React, SwiftUI, Compose, Flutter) — you must know what role and name each control will expose.
• Conformance target: AA unless the user states AAA.
• For an audit: a way to traverse it by keyboard and a screen reader available (NVDA + Firefox/Chrome on Windows, VoiceOver + Safari on macOS/iOS, TalkBack on Android).

Workflow

Choose the build or audit branch, then record evidence for every applicable requirement.

A. Build (wire accessibility in as you author the component)

1. Choose the right pattern, not a generic <div>. Map the component to a known accessible pattern (WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices) before writing markup. Prefer native elements (<button>, <a href>, <dialog>, <input>, <details>) — they ship focus, role, and keyboard behaviour for free. Only reach for ARIA when no native element fits. See references/aria-patterns.md.
2. Name, role, value (4.1.2). Every control must expose an accessible name (visible label, aria-label, or aria-labelledby), a correct role, and live state (aria-expanded, aria-selected, aria-checked, aria-pressed, aria-current, aria-disabled, aria-invalid). The first rule of ARIA: don't use ARIA if a native element does it. See references/aria-patterns.md.
3. Keyboard operability (2.1.1, 2.1.2). Everything operable by pointer must be operable by keyboard, with no trap (except an intentional, escapable modal trap). Implement the pattern's expected keys (Tab/Shift+Tab move between widgets; Arrow keys move within a composite widget; Enter/Space activate; Esc closes/cancels; Home/End where applicable). See references/keyboard-and-focus.md.
4. Focus order + roving tabindex (2.4.3). DOM order = reading/focus order. Composite widgets (menus, tabs, grids, radio groups, toolbars) use roving tabindex or aria-activedescendant — one tab stop for the whole widget, arrows move inside. See references/keyboard-and-focus.md.
5. Visible, unobscured focus (2.4.7; 2.4.11 new in 2.2). Never outline: none without a replacement. Provide a focus indicator with ≥ 3:1 contrast against adjacent colours (use :focus-visible). Ensure sticky headers/footers do not obscure the focused element (2.4.11) — scroll-pad with scroll-margin/scroll-padding. See references/keyboard-and-focus.md.
6. Focus management on dynamic UI. On open: move focus into the dialog/popover and trap it; on close: return focus to the trigger. Announce async changes via a polite aria-live region; don't steal focus for non-critical updates.
7. Target size 24×24 CSS px minimum (2.5.8, new in 2.2). Pointer targets are at least 24×24 px, or have ≥ 24px of spacing so a 24px circle centred on each doesn't overlap a neighbour. Aim higher on touch: 44×44 px (Apple HIG) / 48dp (Material). Inline links in a sentence are exempt; standalone tap targets are not.
8. Dragging alternative (2.5.7, new in 2.2). Any drag operation (reorder, slider, swipe, kanban) needs a single-pointer alternative — buttons, a menu, or arrow-key control.
9. Forms — redundant entry + association (3.3.7 new; 3.3.1–3.3.4). Every field has a programmatically associated <label>; errors are tied to fields via aria-describedby and flagged with aria-invalid; required fields are marked in name + state. Do not re-ask for information already given in the same process (3.3.7) — autofill, prefill, or offer "same as above".
10. Accessible authentication (3.3.8 new). No login step may require a cognitive function test (solving a puzzle, transcribing, recalling a password with no paste) without an alternative — allow paste, password managers, email links, passkeys, OAuth.
11. Consistent help (3.2.6 new). If a help mechanism (contact link, chat, FAQ) repeats across pages, keep it in a consistent relative order.
12. Motion + media. Honour prefers-reduced-motion; no parallax/auto-animation that can't be stopped; nothing flashes > 3×/sec (2.3.1, 2.3.3). Captions/transcripts for media.
13. Reflow + zoom (1.4.10, 1.4.4). Usable at 320px width and 200% zoom with no loss of content or horizontal scroll (except where 2D is intrinsic, e.g. data tables).
14. Contrast — design with APCA, certify with the WCAG ratio. Body ≥ 4.5:1; large text and UI/graphical objects ≥ 3:1. Construct the palette in accessible-color-and-contrast; this skill only verifies the result. See wcag-2.2-criteria.md §contrast method note.
15. Apple material settings. For Liquid Glass or Apple-native chrome, verify Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, Reduce Motion, Dark Mode, Dynamic Type AX sizes, VoiceOver, and appearance/icon variants. Do not let translucency, refraction, or icon-only symbols carry required meaning without a text/name fallback.

B. Audit (certify against the floor)

16. Automated sweep first. Run axe-core / Lighthouse / Accessibility Insights. This catches only ~30–40% of issues (per wcag-2.2-criteria.md §testing) — never stop here.
17. Manual keyboard traversal. Unplug the mouse. Tab through the whole flow: every control reachable, focus visible and never obscured, order logical, no trap, Esc works, modal behaviour correct. See the checklist in references/keyboard-and-focus.md.
18. Screen-reader smoke test. Walk the flow with NVDA (Win) and VoiceOver (mac/iOS): does each control announce a sensible name + role + state? Are dynamic changes announced? Are decorative images silent and meaningful ones described? See references/aria-patterns.md.
19. Target-size + zoom + reduced-motion spot checks. Measure tap targets; test at 200% and 320px; toggle reduced motion.
20. Record the result on the audit sheet. For each applicable criterion: Pass / Fail / N/A, evidence, and the fix. Use examples/wcag-2.2-audit-sheet.md as the template. A Fail on any AA criterion blocks ship.

Decision Rules

Condition	Action	Wrong-choice failure
New component or flow	Design native semantics, keyboard behaviour, focus, and names before visual polish	Accessibility becomes an expensive retrofit
Existing interactive build	Run automated checks plus keyboard and screen-reader testing	Tool-only coverage misses interaction failures
Any applicable WCAG 2.2 AA criterion fails	Record evidence and block the release gate	A known barrier ships under a misleading pass label
Legal certification or formal conformance claim is requested	Produce technical evidence and require qualified human/legal sign-off	The skill overstates authority it does not hold

Capability Contract

Read and interactive inspection are required for an audit. Browser or device access and at least one automated checker are preferred; keyboard and screen-reader checks remain mandatory for a release verdict. Editing is allowed only when remediation is requested.

Degraded Mode

Without an interactive build, return design/spec risks and test cases, not a WCAG conformance verdict. Without a screen reader or target device, mark those checks unverified and block any claim that the experience passes the full gate.

Anti-Patterns

• outline: none with no replacement — the single most common keyboard-a11y failure.
• <div onclick> as a button — no role, no name, no keyboard, no focus. Use <button>.
• ARIA over native — role="button" on a <div> instead of a <button>; redundant or conflicting ARIA. First rule of ARIA: don't use ARIA.
• Placeholder as label — disappears on input, often fails contrast, not a programmatic name.
• Icon-only controls with no accessible name — a bare <button>🗑</button> announces nothing.
• Tiny tap targets — 16px icon buttons crammed together fail 2.5.8.
• Drag-only interactions — sliders/reorder with no keyboard or single-pointer path (2.5.7).
• Focus lost or stuck — dialog opens but focus stays behind it; or focus trapped with no Esc.
• Sticky header eating focus — focused field scrolls under a fixed bar (2.4.11).
• Re-asking known data — making users retype an address they entered a step ago (3.3.7).
• CAPTCHA puzzle as the only auth path (3.3.8); blocking paste in password fields.
• aria-live spam — announcing every keystroke; use polite, scoped regions.
• Audit by automated tool only — declaring "axe is green, we're accessible". It isn't.

Outputs

Artefact	Consumer	Evidence and acceptance condition
Accessible component or flow specification	Design and engineering	Native semantics, keyboard, focus, names, states, and alternatives are defined
WCAG 2.2 audit sheet	Pre-launch review	Each applicable criterion has Pass/Fail/N/A, evidence, and a fix; any AA failure blocks

• Components built to the WAI-ARIA pattern with correct name/role/state, keyboard operation, managed focus, ≥24px targets, and drag alternatives.
• A completed WCAG 2.2 audit sheet (Pass/Fail/N/A + evidence + fix per criterion) suitable for handoff to design-qa-and-pre-launch-review as the a11y gate.

Examples

• examples/wcag-2.2-audit-sheet.md — a filled audit of a sample "Edit profile" modal dialog (with a form inside), showing Pass/Fail/N/A and the fix per criterion, including the 9 new 2.2 criteria. Use it as the template for any audit.

References

• doctrine/design-doctrine.md — the cross-cutting charter; §3 places this skill in 00-cross-cutting-ops-qa-a11y (co-activates with every group).
• doctrine/references/wcag-2.2-criteria.md — the canonical source of the criteria (the 9 new in 2.2, the perennial AA checklist, the contrast method note, the testing note). This skill operationalizes it; it does not duplicate it.
• references/aria-patterns.md — accessible component patterns: native-first, name/role/value, and a per-pattern recipe (dialog, menu, tabs, combobox, accordion, table, live regions).
• references/keyboard-and-focus.md — keyboard interaction maps, focus order, roving tabindex, focus management, visible/unobscured focus, and the manual keyboard-audit checklist.
• Pairs with 00-cross-cutting-ops-qa-a11y/design-qa-and-pre-launch-review (final gate) and 02-color-brand-and-visual-identity/accessible-color-and-contrast (palette/contrast).