Skip to content

Accessibility (WCAG-oriented)

Purpose: Non-negotiable baseline for public websites and apps — especially mission-driven sites serving diverse abilities.

Harvest / review: 2026-05

Target: WCAG 2.2 Level AA for most public sites (US orgs often aim here).

Agent hint: Load on every public web task

POUR (four principles)

Principle Meaning
Perceivable Users can see/hear content (alt text, contrast, captions)
Operable Keyboard, enough time, no seizure triggers, navigable
Understandable Readable, predictable, input help
Robust Works with assistive tech now and later

High-impact patterns

Area Do
Images Meaningful alt; decorative alt=""
Color Don't rely on color alone for meaning
Focus Visible focus ring; logical tab order
Touch Targets ~44×44px minimum where possible
Forms Labels linked to inputs; errors linked + described
Headings One h1; don't skip levels
Motion Respect prefers-reduced-motion
Video Captions when speech matters

Anti-patterns

Avoid Why
outline: none without replacement Keyboard users lost
Placeholder as label Disappears; screen readers suffer
Auto-playing video with sound Operable + perceivable fail
Low-contrast gray on white Fails contrast for many users

Pre-ship checklist (AA-oriented)

  • [ ] Keyboard-only pass through main flows
  • [ ] Automated scan (axe, Lighthouse a11y) — fix criticals
  • [ ] Contrast check on text and buttons
  • [ ] Form labels + error messages tested
  • [ ] Page has single logical h1

Sources