An Accessibility Checklist Engineers Will Actually Follow
Concrete WCAG checks wired into PRs — focus management, contrast, and live regions without turning design into bureaucracy.
Make a11y a PR habit
Engineers follow checklists that fit in a review, not thirty-page PDFs. We keep a short set of must-pass checks for interactive UI: keyboard reachability, visible focus, name/role/value for controls, and contrast on text and essential icons.
Automation catches regressions; humans still verify flows with a screen reader on non-trivial widgets.
Focus management in real apps
Modals, drawers, and route changes must move focus intentionally and restore it on close. Trapping focus incorrectly is as bad as not managing it at all.
Skip links and landmark structure help power users navigate dense product UIs without tabbing through the entire shell.
Live regions and dynamic content
Toasts, inline validation, and async results need polite or assertive live regions depending on urgency. Silent updates leave assistive tech users guessing.
Prefer clear text updates over colour-only state. Colour can reinforce meaning; it should not be the only signal.
Sofia Reyes
Design Engineer
Design engineer bridging Figma systems, accessibility, and motion into production UI.
