Accessibility Conformance

DS0 is built with accessibility as a core requirement, not an afterthought. Every component is designed to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance.

Conformance Target

DS0 targets WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance for all interactive components.

This means every DS0 component is designed and tested to meet the following criteria:

• Perceivable — Content is presentable to all users, including those using assistive technologies
• Operable — All interactive elements are keyboard-accessible and focus-managed
• Understandable — UI behavior is predictable and input assistance is provided
• Robust — Content is compatible with current and future assistive technologies

How We Test

Automated Testing with jest-axe

Every component in @ds0/primitives includes accessibility tests using jest-axe. These tests run automatically in CI and verify:

• Proper ARIA roles and attributes
• Color contrast ratios
• Label associations for form elements
• Keyboard navigation structure
• Document heading hierarchy

// Example from a DS0 component test
import { axe, toHaveNoViolations } from 'jest-axe';

expect.extend(toHaveNoViolations);

it('has no accessibility violations', async () => {
  const { container } = render(<Button>Click me</Button>);
  const results = await axe(container);
  expect(results).toHaveNoViolations();
});

Storybook a11y Addon

All Storybook stories include the @storybook/addon-a11y addon, which provides real-time accessibility violation reporting during development. This addon runs axe-core against each story.

Manual Testing

For complex interactive patterns (modals, toast notifications, data grids), we additionally verify:

• Screen reader announcements (VoiceOver, NVDA)
• Keyboard-only navigation flows
• Focus trap and restoration behavior
• Reduced motion preferences (prefers-reduced-motion)

Per-Component Accessibility Notes

Each component's documentation page includes an Accessibility section covering:

• Required ARIA attributes
• Keyboard interaction patterns
• Screen reader behavior
• Known limitations

ARIA Pattern References

DS0 components follow the WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices Guide for all interaction patterns:

Reporting Accessibility Issues

If you discover an accessibility barrier in any DS0 component, please open an issue with:

1. The component name
2. The assistive technology used (if applicable)
3. Expected vs. actual behavior
4. Steps to reproduce

We treat accessibility issues with high priority and aim to address them in the next patch release.