Accessibility isn't optional. Beyond the ethical imperative to make applications usable by everyone, legal requirements like the ADA and WCAG create real compliance obligations. Lawsuits over inaccessible websites have become common. The business case is clear too - accessible applications reach more users and often have better overall UX.
Yet accessibility work consistently gets deprioritized. Teams acknowledge its importance, add it to the backlog, and then never quite get to it. The gap between intention and action grows because accessibility work is perceived as tedious, specialized, and always deferrable.
AI agents change this calculus. They can scan your entire application for accessibility issues, fix many problems automatically, and flag the rest for human attention. What used to require an accessibility specialist working for weeks can be automated into your development workflow.
Why Accessibility Gets Neglected
Understanding the barriers helps remove them.
Perceived Expertise Requirements
Accessibility standards (WCAG) are complex. Teams assume they need specialists to understand them. In reality, most accessibility fixes are straightforward - missing alt text, poor color contrast, absent labels. You don't need an expert for these.
Testing Burden
Manual accessibility testing is time-consuming. Testing with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and various assistive technologies requires setup and expertise that most teams lack.
Retrofitting Difficulty
Adding accessibility to existing applications feels overwhelming. Thousands of components might need review. Teams don't know where to start, so they don't start.
Invisible Users
If developers don't personally use assistive technology, accessibility problems remain invisible to them. What they can't see, they don't fix.
Competing Priorities
Features beat maintenance. Accessibility competes with everything else for developer time. Without explicit prioritization, it loses.
WCAG Standards
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) defines accessibility standards at three levels.
Level A (Minimum)
Essential accessibility that all sites should meet:
@devonair audit application for WCAG Level A violations
Missing alt text, absent form labels, keyboard traps.
Level AA (Standard)
Recommended level for most sites:
@devonair audit and fix WCAG Level AA issues across the application
Color contrast, resize support, consistent navigation.
Level AAA (Enhanced)
Highest level, not required for most sites:
@devonair identify opportunities for WCAG Level AAA enhancements
Sign language, extended audio descriptions.
Most compliance requirements target Level AA.
Automated Accessibility Auditing
First, know what you're dealing with.
Full Application Scan
@devonair scan all pages for accessibility violations
Identify issues across your entire application.
Component Audit
@devonair audit all React components for accessibility
Find problems in your component library.
Priority Ranking
@devonair rank accessibility issues by severity and impact
Focus on what matters most.
Compliance Reporting
@devonair generate WCAG Level AA compliance report
Document your current state.
Common Issues and Fixes
Missing Alt Text
Images need descriptions:
@devonair add alt text to all images missing it
@devonair generate descriptive alt text based on image content and context
The agent analyzes image context to generate meaningful descriptions.
Form Label Association
Inputs need labels:
@devonair associate all form inputs with proper labels
@devonair fix unlabeled form controls across the application
Color Contrast
Text must be readable:
@devonair identify color contrast violations
@devonair suggest contrast-compliant color alternatives
Keyboard Navigation
Everything must be keyboard accessible:
@devonair ensure all interactive elements are keyboard accessible
@devonair add proper tabindex and focus handling
Focus Indicators
Users must see where they are:
@devonair add visible focus indicators to all interactive elements
@devonair ensure focus is never hidden or suppressed
ARIA Labels
Complex widgets need labels:
@devonair add appropriate ARIA labels to custom components
@devonair ensure all icon buttons have accessible names
Heading Structure
Headings must be hierarchical:
@devonair fix heading hierarchy across all pages
@devonair ensure no heading levels are skipped
Link Text
Links need descriptive text:
@devonair replace generic link text like "click here" with descriptive text
@devonair ensure all links are distinguishable from body text
Component-Level Fixes
Buttons
@devonair ensure all buttons have accessible names
@devonair add type attribute to all button elements
Forms
@devonair add required ARIA attributes to form validation
@devonair ensure form errors are announced to screen readers
Modals
@devonair implement proper focus trapping in modals
@devonair add ARIA attributes for dialog components
Tables
@devonair add proper table headers and scope attributes
@devonair ensure data tables have caption or aria-label
Navigation
@devonair add ARIA landmarks to navigation elements
@devonair implement skip links for main content
Carousels
@devonair make carousel controls keyboard accessible
@devonair add proper ARIA for carousel slides
Automated Testing Integration
Build accessibility into your CI/CD.
Pre-Commit Checks
@devonair on commit: run accessibility linting on changed files
Catch issues before they're committed.
PR Validation
@devonair on PR: audit changed components for accessibility
New code meets standards from the start.
CI Pipeline
@devonair run automated accessibility tests in CI
@devonair block merge on critical accessibility violations
E2E Testing
@devonair add accessibility assertions to existing E2E tests
@devonair run axe-core in Playwright/Cypress tests
Fixing Issues at Scale
Batch Fixes
Apply fixes across many files:
@devonair add missing alt attributes to all decorative images
@devonair convert all onClick on divs to proper buttons
Pattern-Based Fixes
Fix recurring patterns:
@devonair replace all custom checkboxes with accessible implementations
@devonair update all modal components to follow accessibility patterns
Component Library Updates
Fix components at the source:
@devonair update Button component to meet accessibility requirements
Fixing the component fixes all usages.
Screen Reader Support
Ensure content works with screen readers.
Announcement Handling
@devonair add aria-live regions for dynamic content updates
@devonair ensure loading states are announced to screen readers
Reading Order
@devonair verify content reading order matches visual order
@devonair fix DOM order where it differs from visual presentation
Hidden Content
@devonair properly hide decorative content from screen readers
@devonair expose hidden content that should be read
Keyboard Accessibility
All functionality must work without a mouse.
Focus Management
@devonair implement proper focus management for single-page navigation
@devonair return focus appropriately after modal closes
Keyboard Handlers
@devonair add keyboard event handlers matching mouse events
@devonair implement arrow key navigation for menus
Focus Trapping
@devonair implement focus trapping in modal dialogs
@devonair ensure focus doesn't escape to hidden content
Color and Visual Accessibility
Contrast Checking
@devonair identify all text with insufficient contrast
@devonair verify contrast meets WCAG AA requirements
Color Independence
@devonair ensure information isn't conveyed by color alone
@devonair add non-color indicators to status messages
Animation Safety
@devonair respect prefers-reduced-motion for all animations
@devonair add controls for auto-playing content
Documentation and Training
Accessibility Guidelines
@devonair document accessibility patterns used in our components
@devonair create accessibility checklist for component development
Component Documentation
@devonair add accessibility usage notes to component documentation
Help developers use components accessibly.
Testing Guides
@devonair create manual accessibility testing guide for QA
Some testing requires human verification.
Compliance Monitoring
Track accessibility over time.
Metrics Tracking
@devonair track accessibility violation count over time
Ensure you're improving, not regressing.
Regression Detection
@devonair alert on new accessibility violations introduced by PRs
Catch regressions immediately.
Compliance Reporting
@devonair generate monthly accessibility compliance report
Document progress for stakeholders.
Getting Started
Start with an audit:
@devonair audit the application for WCAG Level A and AA violations
Know your baseline.
Fix the easy wins:
@devonair fix all missing alt text and form labels
Quick improvements affect many users.
Integrate into development:
@devonair on PR: check for accessibility issues in changed files
Prevent new problems.
Schedule regular cleanup:
@devonair schedule weekly: fix 10 accessibility issues
Steady progress beats sporadic sprints.
Accessibility that happens automatically is accessibility that actually gets done. When every PR is checked and fixes are generated automatically, your application becomes more usable for everyone.
FAQ
Can automation handle all accessibility issues?
No. Automated tools catch about 30-50% of accessibility issues - the ones that can be detected programmatically. Issues like whether alt text is meaningful or whether interactions are intuitive require human judgment. Automation handles the mechanical issues so humans can focus on the nuanced ones.
What's the legal risk of poor accessibility?
Significant. ADA lawsuits for inaccessible websites are common and increasing. Many countries have similar requirements. The risk varies by jurisdiction and industry, but it's non-trivial for most public-facing applications.
How do I prioritize accessibility work?
Start with the most impactful issues: missing alt text, form labels, color contrast, keyboard navigation. These affect the most users and are often the easiest to fix. Then work through remaining issues by severity.
Should I use overlays/widgets that "fix" accessibility?
No. Overlay solutions don't actually make sites accessible and can make things worse. Fix the underlying HTML and CSS. There are no shortcuts.