wA11y Design System
Accessibility-first. Token-based.
Universal by design.
Most design systems treat accessibility as a “fast-follow” or a final audit step. The wA11y Design System is different. We’ve built accessibility into the very DNA of our components so your team can focus on building great features without slowing down delivery.
Why Use the wA11y Design System?
Accessibility often feels complicated because patterns are inconsistent. Our system solves this by providing:
Plain, inclusive defaults
Pre-tested components that meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards out of the box.
Clear decision guardrails
Patterns grounded in real workflows, not just technical specs.
Semantic Foundations
A system that prioritizes "Semantics First" to reduce technical risk
Explore the Foundations
The building blocks of an inclusive experience.
Design Tokens
Semantic color palettes with built-in contrast and dyslexia-friendly typography scales.
Accessibility Defaults
Standardized focus rings, touch targets (44x44px), and motion-reduction settings.
Iconography
Guidelines for decorative vs. functional icons and providing meaningful accessible names.
The Components Library
Build, review, and release with confidence.
Navigation Patterns
Breadcrumbs, skip-links, and menus designed for keyboard and screen reader predictability.
Forms & Inputs
Accessible inputs with persistent labels and programmatically associated error messages
Overlays & Modals
Focus-trapped dialogs and tooltips that follow the “First Rule of ARIA”.
Data Visualization
Tables and charts that communicate meaning through more than just color
3 Essentials for Every Component
Build, review, and release with confidence.
Semantics Over ARIA
We use native HTML elements first to ensure the best support for assistive tech.
Visible Focus Always
We never remove the default browser outline without a high-visibility replacement
Logical Reading Order
Every layout is tested to ensure content flows predictably for screen reader users
Deep Dive: System Toolboxes
Downloadable resources to help your team implement the system at scale.
The wA11y Token Spreadsheet
A mapping of all semantic tokens to their corresponding WCAG contrast ratios.
Designer’s Handoff Checklist
A 1-page guide to annotating focus order and intent for developers.
The “Stop & Fix” Dev Card
A quick reference for common code-level accessibility red flags.
Accessible Components Vetting Guide
How to audit third-party components before adding them to your library.
