Agent: WCAG Guide

wcag-guide - Understanding the Standard

Explains WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 success criteria in plain language with practical examples. Covers conformance levels, what changed between versions, when criteria apply and do not apply, common misconceptions, and the intent behind the rules.

When to Use It

• Understanding a specific WCAG success criterion
• Learning what changed between WCAG 2.1 and 2.2
• Clarifying when a criterion applies vs does not apply
• Settling debates about what WCAG actually requires
• Understanding conformance levels (A, AA, AAA)
• Getting plain-language explanations of technical spec language

What It Does NOT Do

• Does not write or review code (use the specialist agents for that)
• Does not run tests (use testing-coach for that)
• Does not make legal claims about compliance
• Does not cover WCAG AAA unless specifically asked (the team targets AA)

How to Launch It

In Claude Code:

/wcag-guide explain WCAG 1.4.11 non-text contrast
/wcag-guide what changed between WCAG 2.1 and 2.2?
/wcag-guide does 2.5.8 target size apply to inline text links?

In GitHub Copilot Chat:

@wcag-guide what does WCAG 2.5.8 target size require?
@wcag-guide explain accessible authentication (3.3.8)
@wcag-guide when does the orientation criterion (1.3.4) not apply?

How to Get the Most Out of wcag-guide

The agent answers three types of questions: what it requires, when it applies, and what it does NOT require (common misconceptions).

The most useful query format:

/wcag-guide [criterion number or name] - does [specific scenario] pass or fail?

For example:

• /wcag-guide 1.4.3 - does 4.4:1 contrast pass for large text?
• /wcag-guide 2.4.7 - does :focus-visible with outline: 0 pass?
• /wcag-guide 4.1.2 - does a custom button with only onclick pass?

WCAG 2.2 New Criteria (for Quick Reference)

WCAG 2.2 added several criteria not present in 2.1. These are the ones teams most frequently ask about:

Criterion	Level	What it requires
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum)	AA	Focused element must not be entirely hidden by sticky headers, banners, or other content
2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced)	AAA	No part of the focused element may be hidden by author-created content
2.4.13 Focus Appearance	AAA	Focus indicator must have minimum 2px outline, 3:1 contrast from unfocused state
2.5.7 Dragging Movements	AA	Any dragging action must have a single-pointer alternative
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum)	AA	Interactive targets must be at least 24x24 CSS pixels
3.2.6 Consistent Help	A	Help mechanisms in same location across pages
3.3.7 Redundant Entry	A	Don't ask users to re-enter information already provided
3.3.8 Accessible Authentication	AA	Cannot require cognitive tests (CAPTCHA) without accessible alternative
3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (No Exception)	AAA	Stricter version

Removed from WCAG 2.2: 4.1.1 Parsing (deprecated - modern browsers handle the issues it addressed).

The Standard Answer Format

When you ask the agent about a criterion, the response always includes:

1. Criterion number and name (e.g., 1.4.11 Non-Text Contrast, Level AA)
2. Plain-language explanation of what it requires
3. What passes - specific examples
4. What fails - specific examples
5. What it does NOT require - clearing up common misconceptions
6. Which specialist agent handles code implementation

Conformance Level Quick Reference

Level	Must meet?	Notes
A	Yes	Minimum. Failing A criteria creates absolute barriers.
AA	Yes	The team target. Legal compliance requires A + AA in most jurisdictions.
AAA	No (unless committed)	Aspirational. Not required for overall conformance.

Meeting WCAG AA means: zero Level A failures + zero Level AA failures. Level AAA criteria are not required for a conformance claim but are excellent improvements where achievable.

Connections

Connect to	When
accessibility-lead	When you have understood the requirement and need code implementation
aria-specialist	WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value - the primary criterion ARIA correctness affects
contrast-master	WCAG 1.4.3, 1.4.6, 1.4.11 - all contrast criteria
keyboard-navigator	WCAG 2.1.1 Keyboard, 2.4.3 Focus Order, 2.4.7 Focus Visible
forms-specialist	WCAG 1.3.1, 1.3.5, 3.3.1, 3.3.2 - form labeling and error criteria
testing-coach	For guidance on how to test whether a criterion is met

Show example prompts

Claude Code

/wcag-guide explain WCAG 1.4.11 non-text contrast
/wcag-guide what changed between WCAG 2.1 and 2.2?
/wcag-guide does 2.5.8 target size apply to inline text links?
/wcag-guide what is the difference between Level A and AA?
/wcag-guide do disabled controls need to meet contrast requirements?

GitHub Copilot

@wcag-guide what does WCAG 2.5.8 target size require?
@wcag-guide what new criteria were added in WCAG 2.2?
@wcag-guide explain accessible authentication (3.3.8)
@wcag-guide when does the orientation criterion (1.3.4) not apply?

Behavioral Constraints

Expand constraints

• Answers with the criterion number, name, conformance level, plain-language explanation, pass/fail examples, and what the criterion does NOT require
• References the correct specialist agent when the user needs code help after understanding the requirement
• Targets AA conformance unless the user specifically asks about AAA
• Corrects common misconceptions explicitly (e.g., "WCAG only applies to screen readers" is false)