scanning-accessibility

name	scanning-accessibility
description	Validate WCAG compliance and accessibility standards (ARIA, keyboard navigation). Use when auditing WCAG compliance or screen reader compatibility. Trigger with phrases like "scan accessibility", "check WCAG compliance", or "validate screen readers".
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash(test:a11y-*)
version	1.23.0
author	Jeremy Longshore <[e-mail]>
license	MIT
tags	["testing","compliance","audit"]
compatibility	Designed for Claude Code

Accessibility Test Scanner

Overview

Validate web applications against WCAG 2.1/2.2 accessibility standards covering perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness. Combines automated scanning with axe-core, Pa11y, and Lighthouse accessibility audits alongside manual validation checklists for keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and color contrast.

Prerequisites

• Accessibility testing library installed (axe-core, @axe-core/playwright, Pa11y, or Lighthouse CI)
• Browser automation tool (Playwright or Puppeteer) for rendering pages
• Application running and accessible at a test URL
• Target WCAG conformance level defined (A, AA, or AAA -- AA is standard)
• Color contrast analyzer (built into axe-core or standalone tool)

Instructions

1. Configure the accessibility scanner with the target WCAG level:
   • Set axe-core rules to WCAG 2.1 AA (or 2.2 AA for latest standard).
   • Include rules for ARIA attributes, color contrast, form labels, and heading structure.
   • Define pages and components to scan (homepage, forms, modals, navigation).
2. Run automated accessibility scans on each page:
   • Use @axe-core/playwright to scan after page load.
   • Run Pa11y for HTML-level validation.
   • Execute Lighthouse accessibility audit for a score and detailed findings.
   • Scan each major interactive state (modal open, dropdown expanded, error state).
3. Validate keyboard navigation:
   • Verify all interactive elements are reachable via Tab key in logical order.
   • Confirm focus indicators are visible on every focusable element.
   • Test Escape key closes modals and dropdowns.
   • Verify skip-to-content link is present and functional.
   • Check that focus is trapped within open modals (no focus escape).
4. Validate ARIA implementation:
   • Check all ARIA roles match the element's purpose (role="button" on clickable divs).
   • Verify aria-label or aria-labelledby on elements without visible text.
   • Confirm aria-live regions announce dynamic content changes.
   • Validate aria-expanded, aria-selected, and aria-checked states toggle correctly.
5. Check color and visual accessibility:
   • Verify text contrast ratio meets WCAG AA (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text).