Accessibility Audit Vocabulary | Accessibility Exercises

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The audit report cites WCAG 2.1 SC 2.4.7 — Focus Visible.

What does a success criterion citation in an accessibility audit mean?

Each WCAG success criterion citation in an audit report gives the finding a traceable, normative reference:

Citation component	Example	Purpose
SC number	2.4.7	Unique identifier — enables lookup
SC name	Focus Visible	Human-readable label
Level	AA	Indicates compliance priority

Citing the SC separates normative violations (must fix for legal compliance) from best-practice recommendations (should fix). Key vocabulary: "success criterion reference", "normative requirement", "understanding SC", "sufficient technique".

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The automated scan found 12 violations using axe-core.

What is the key limitation of automated accessibility testing?

Automated accessibility tools are fast and consistent but cover only a portion of WCAG requirements:

Testing type	Finds	Misses
Automated (axe-core)	Missing alt text, contrast failures, missing labels, duplicate IDs	Wrong alt text, cognitive accessibility, keyboard flow quality
Manual review	Context-dependent issues, logical structure, reading order	Comprehensive AT experience
AT testing	Screen reader comprehension, forms mode, focus management	Efficiency — requires AT expertise

Key vocabulary: "automated + manual testing requirement", "false negative", "automated audit coverage (30–40%)", "expert review".

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The audit finding has severity: Critical.

What does severity in an accessibility audit typically mean?

Severity classification helps teams prioritise remediation regardless of WCAG level:

Severity	User impact	Example
Critical	Access completely blocked for a user group	Keyboard trap, form with no labels
Major	Significantly impairs but does not block	Poor focus management in modal
Minor	Friction — user can work around it	Heading level skipped in one section

Severity is independent of WCAG level — a Level A issue can be Minor in context; a Level AA issue can be Critical if it blocks screen reader users. Key vocabulary: "access blocker", "remediation priority", "user impact vs. WCAG level".

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The VPAT shows "Supports with Exceptions" for SC 1.4.11.

What does "Supports with Exceptions" in a VPAT mean?

VPAT conformance level designations communicate the product's accessibility status for each success criterion:

VPAT designation	Meaning
Supports	Fully meets the success criterion
Partially Supports / Supports with Exceptions	Some components do not conform; known gaps documented in notes
Does Not Support	The criterion is not met
Not Applicable	The criterion does not apply to this product type

Key vocabulary: "VPAT conformance claim", "exception documentation", "remediation roadmap in VPAT notes", "honest self-assessment".

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The remediation recommendation is to add a visible focus indicator to all interactive elements.

What SC does this recommendation address and why is it important?

Focus visible requirements ensure sighted keyboard users can navigate without a mouse:

Criterion	Requirement	WCAG version
SC 2.4.7 Focus Visible	Any keyboard-operable UI must have a visible focus indicator	2.1 — Level AA
SC 2.4.11 Focus Appearance	Stricter: focus indicator must have minimum area and contrast	2.2 — Level AA

outline: none in CSS = accessibility failure. Key vocabulary: "focus indicator", "focus ring", "outline: none anti-pattern", "keyboard navigation baseline", "focus management in SPAs".