fixing-accessibility

SKILL.md

fixing-accessibility

Fix accessibility issues.

how to use

/fixing-accessibility
Apply these constraints to any UI work in this conversation.

/fixing-accessibility <file>
Review the file against all rules below and report:

violations (quote the exact line or snippet)

why it matters (one short sentence)

a concrete fix (code-level suggestion)

Do not rewrite large parts of the UI. Prefer minimal, targeted fixes.

when to apply
Reference these guidelines when:

adding or changing buttons, links, inputs, menus, dialogs, tabs, dropdowns

building forms, validation, error states, helper text

implementing keyboard shortcuts or custom interactions

working on focus states, focus trapping, or modal behavior

rendering icon-only controls

adding hover-only interactions or hidden content

rule categories by priority

priority
category
impact

1
accessible names
critical

2
keyboard access
critical

3
focus and dialogs
critical

4
semantics
high

5
forms and errors
high

6
announcements
medium-high

7
contrast and states
medium

8
media and motion
low-medium

9
tool boundaries
critical

quick reference

1. accessible names (critical)

every interactive control must have an accessible name

icon-only buttons must have aria-label or aria-labelledby

every input, select, and textarea must be labeled

links must have meaningful text (no “click here”)

decorative icons must be aria-hidden

2. keyboard access (critical)

do not use div or span as buttons without full keyboard support

all interactive elements must be reachable by Tab

focus must be visible for keyboard users

do not use tabindex greater than 0

Escape must close dialogs or overlays when applicable

3. focus and dialogs (critical)

modals must trap focus while open

restore focus to the trigger on close

set initial focus inside dialogs

opening a dialog should not scroll the page unexpectedly

4. semantics (high)

prefer native elements (button, a, input) over role-based hacks

if a role is used, required aria attributes must be present

lists must use ul or ol with li

do not skip heading levels

tables must use th for headers when applicable

5. forms and errors (high)

errors must be linked to fields using aria-describedby

required fields must be announced

invalid fields must set aria-invalid

helper text must be associated with inputs

disabled submit actions must explain why

6. announcements (medium-high)

critical form errors should use aria-live

loading states should use aria-busy or status text

toasts must not be the only way to convey critical information

expandable controls must use aria-expanded and aria-controls

7. contrast and states (medium)

ensure sufficient contrast for text and icons

hover-only interactions must have keyboard equivalents

disabled states must not rely on color alone

do not remove focus outlines without a visible replacement

8. media and motion (low-medium)

images must have correct alt text (meaningful or empty)

videos with speech should provide captions when relevant

respect prefers-reduced-motion for non-essential motion

avoid autoplaying media with sound

9. tool boundaries (critical)

prefer minimal changes, do not refactor unrelated code

do not add aria when native semantics already solve the problem

do not migrate UI libraries unless requested

common fixes

<!-- icon-only button: add aria-label -->
<!-- before --> <button><svg>...</svg></button>
<!-- after -->  <button aria-label="Close"><svg aria-hidden="true">...</svg></button>

<!-- div as button: use native element -->
<!-- before --> <div onclick="save()">Save</div>
<!-- after -->  <button onclick="save()">Save</button>

<!-- form error: link with aria-describedby -->
<!-- before --> <input id="email" /> <span>Invalid email</span>
<!-- after -->  <input id="email" aria-describedby="email-err" aria-invalid="true" /> <span id="email-err">Invalid email</span>

review guidance

fix critical issues first (names, keyboard, focus, tool boundaries)

prefer native HTML before adding aria

quote the exact snippet, state the failure, propose a small fix

for complex widgets (menu, dialog, combobox), prefer established accessible primitives over custom behavior

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