Accessibility
The accessibility baseline every template is built to, and what remains your responsibility.
UT Studio6 min read
Templates are built against WCAG 2.2 AA as a target. That is a target and a practice, not a certificate: no template can be certified, because accessibility is a property of the finished site and most of the finished site is yours.
What the templates provide
- Semantic landmarks, a single `h1` per page, and a heading order that does not skip levels.
- A visible focus indicator on every interactive element, using a token that keeps contrast in both themes.
- A skip link as the first tab stop.
- Form fields with real labels — never a placeholder standing in for one.
- Colour that is never the only carrier of meaning; every badge and status has a text label.
- Reduced-motion handling, so animation is opt-out by the operating system rather than by us.
What is yours
The template cannot know your content, and content is where most accessibility failures live.
| Yours | Why the template cannot do it |
|---|---|
| Alt text | Only you know what your images show |
| Heading structure in your copy | Your sections, your outline |
| Link text | "Read more" is a template placeholder, not a destination |
| Language attributes | Only you know what language your content is in |
| Contrast on brand colours | You chose the brand; the token layer will apply it faithfully, including when it fails |
Changing the accent colour can break contrast
Tokens apply your value everywhere it belongs, including where it needs to stay readable against a light surface. Check contrast after a brand change, not before.
Checking your work
- Tab through the page. Every interactive element should be reachable, visibly focused, and in an order that matches the layout.
- Turn the mouse off for five minutes and use the site.
- Run an automated checker. It will catch perhaps a third of real issues, which is worth having and not worth trusting.
- Zoom to 200%. Reflow problems appear immediately.
- Read the page with a screen reader once. Once is enough to find the worst of it.
Automated tools do not measure accessibility
A perfect automated score is compatible with a site that is impossible to use. It measures the subset of problems a machine can see.
Templates mentioned here
Everything above is written against real products. These are the ones this page draws on.
