The accessibility topic covers the theme’s approach to WCAG 2.2 AA conformance — from the standards that define the baseline through automated and manual verification expectations. Accessibility is a release-blocking quality gate, not an afterthought.
Who this is for
- Implementors — understanding the accessibility requirements that apply to every page and component shipped with the theme.
- Developers — building components that meet WCAG 2.2 AA from the start, including keyboard interaction patterns and ARIA usage.
- AI agents — generating markup that satisfies accessibility lint rules and passes the automated axe-core audit.
Key concepts
- WCAG 2.2 AA as baseline — the theme targets WCAG 2.2 Level AA conformance. This covers perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust criteria. The automated pipeline enforces a subset; manual verification covers the rest.
- Automated and manual verification — axe-core runs against dedicated showcase pages in both light and dark mode during the validation pipeline. Manual keyboard and screen reader checks supplement the automated audit.
- Keyboard-first interaction — all interactive components (menus, modals, forms, tabs) must be fully operable via keyboard. Focus management, visible focus indicators, and logical tab order are required.
- No suppression without justification — axe rule suppressions require documented false-positive justification and project owner approval. Blanket disabling is not permitted.
In This Topic
- Accessibility Standards — WCAG 2.2 AA compliance policy — baseline requirements, ARIA rules, color contrast, testing expectations, and exception process.
- Keyboard Testing Checklist — Per-component keyboard interaction testing checklist — tab order, focus management, ARIA state announcements, and escape behavior.