Methodology
What we automate. What we don't. In writing.
Accessibility isn't a bug, it's a decision, so most of it can't be checked by software. Roughly 60% of WCAG 2.2 cannot be tested automatically at all. Any tool that implies otherwise is selling you risk. Here is every A/AA success criterion, sorted into what limena verifies deterministically, what it flags as a candidate for human review, and what needs a person from the start.
8AUTO
Deterministic. axe-core or a limena rule verifies these reliably: contrast, non-text contrast, ARIA name/role/value, page structure. Treat a pass as ground truth.
15AI-ASSISTED
Candidates. axe or a limena heuristic sees the signal, but conformance depends on context or interaction it can't fully reproduce: alt-text quality, link purpose, focus order, reflow. Spot-check before trusting.
33MANUAL
Human judgment required. Captions, use of color, keyboard flows, error sufficiency, predictable behaviour. limena marks these Not Evaluated until a person logs a verdict. Absence of an automated failure is not conformance.
1 · Perceivable
| 1.1.1 · A | Non-text Content All non-text content has a text alternative serving an equivalent purpose. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 1.2.1 · A | Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) Pre-recorded audio-only and video-only media has an alternative. | MANUAL |
| 1.2.2 · A | Captions (Prerecorded) Captions are provided for all pre-recorded audio content in synchronized media. | MANUAL |
| 1.2.3 · A | Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) An alternative or audio description is provided for pre-recorded video content. | MANUAL |
| 1.2.4 · AA | Captions (Live) Captions are provided for all live audio content in synchronized media. | MANUAL |
| 1.2.5 · AA | Audio Description (Prerecorded) Audio description is provided for all pre-recorded video content in synchronized media. | MANUAL |
| 1.3.1 · A | Info and Relationships Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined. | AUTO |
| 1.3.2 · A | Meaningful Sequence Content is presented in a meaningful sequence when sequence affects meaning. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 1.3.3 · A | Sensory Characteristics Instructions don't rely solely on sensory characteristics like shape, colour, or sound. | MANUAL |
| 1.3.4 · AA | Orientation Content does not restrict its view to a single display orientation unless essential. | AUTO |
| 1.3.5 · AA | Identify Input Purpose The purpose of each input field collecting user information can be programmatically determined. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 1.4.1 · A | Use of Color Colour is not used as the only visual means of conveying information or distinguishing an element. | MANUAL |
| 1.4.2 · A | Audio Control Audio that plays automatically for more than 3 seconds can be paused or stopped. | MANUAL |
| 1.4.3 · AA | Contrast (Minimum) Text and images of text have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text). | AUTO |
| 1.4.4 · AA | Resize Text Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 1.4.5 · AA | Images of Text Text is used to convey information rather than images of text, except in specific cases. | MANUAL |
| 1.4.10 · AA | Reflow Content can reflow without horizontal scrolling at 320 CSS pixels wide. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 1.4.11 · AA | Non-text Contrast User interface components and meaningful graphics have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 with adjacent colours. | AUTO |
| 1.4.12 · AA | Text Spacing No loss of content occurs when users override line height, letter spacing, word spacing, or paragraph spacing. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 1.4.13 · AA | Content on Hover or Focus Additional content shown on hover or focus is dismissible, hoverable, and persistent. | MANUAL |
2 · Operable
| 2.1.1 · A | Keyboard All functionality is operable through a keyboard interface. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 2.1.2 · A | No Keyboard Trap Keyboard focus can be moved away from any component using only the keyboard. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 2.1.4 · A | Character Key Shortcuts Single-character keyboard shortcuts can be turned off, remapped, or only active on focus. | MANUAL |
| 2.2.1 · A | Timing Adjustable Users can turn off, adjust, or extend time limits. | MANUAL |
| 2.2.2 · A | Pause, Stop, Hide Moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating content can be paused, stopped, or hidden. | MANUAL |
| 2.3.1 · A | Three Flashes or Below Threshold Content does not flash more than three times in any one-second period. | MANUAL |
| 2.4.1 · A | Bypass Blocks A mechanism is available to bypass blocks of content that are repeated on multiple pages. | AUTO |
| 2.4.2 · A | Page Titled Pages have titles that describe their topic or purpose. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 2.4.3 · A | Focus Order Components receive focus in an order that preserves meaning and operability. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 2.4.4 · A | Link Purpose (In Context) The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or together with its context. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 2.4.5 · AA | Multiple Ways More than one way is available to locate a page within a set of pages. | MANUAL |
| 2.4.6 · AA | Headings and Labels Headings and labels describe topic or purpose. | MANUAL |
| 2.4.7 · AA | Focus Visible Any keyboard operable user interface has a visible focus indicator. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 2.4.11 · AA | Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) When a component receives keyboard focus, it is not entirely hidden by author-created content. | MANUAL |
| 2.5.1 · A | Pointer Gestures All functionality using multi-point or path-based gestures has a single-point alternative. | MANUAL |
| 2.5.2 · A | Pointer Cancellation Functions triggered by single-point activation can be aborted or undone. | MANUAL |
| 2.5.3 · A | Label in Name The accessible name of components with visible labels contains the visible label text. | MANUAL |
| 2.5.4 · A | Motion Actuation Functionality operated by device motion can also be operated by user interface components. | MANUAL |
| 2.5.7 · AA | Dragging Movements Functionality using dragging movements has a single-pointer alternative. | MANUAL |
| 2.5.8 · AA | Target Size (Minimum) Pointer input targets are at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with exceptions. | AUTO |
3 · Understandable
| 3.1.1 · A | Language of Page The default human language of each page can be programmatically determined. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 3.1.2 · AA | Language of Parts The human language of each passage or phrase can be programmatically determined. | MANUAL |
| 3.2.1 · A | On Focus Focusing a component does not initiate a change of context. | MANUAL |
| 3.2.2 · A | On Input Changing the value of a component does not initiate a change of context unless the user is advised. | MANUAL |
| 3.2.3 · AA | Consistent Navigation Navigational mechanisms are repeated in the same relative order across pages. | MANUAL |
| 3.2.4 · AA | Consistent Identification Components with the same functionality are identified consistently. | MANUAL |
| 3.2.6 · A | Consistent Help Help mechanisms appear in the same relative order on pages where they are available. | MANUAL |
| 3.3.1 · A | Error Identification Input errors are identified and described in text. | MANUAL |
| 3.3.2 · A | Labels or Instructions Labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input. | MANUAL |
| 3.3.3 · AA | Error Suggestion When an input error is detected, suggestions for correction are provided when known. | AI-ASSISTED |
| 3.3.4 · AA | Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) Submissions involving legal, financial, or data modifications are reversible, checked, or confirmable. | MANUAL |
| 3.3.7 · A | Redundant Entry Information previously entered by the user is auto-populated or available for selection. | MANUAL |
| 3.3.8 · AA | Accessible Authentication (Minimum) A cognitive function test is not required for authentication unless an alternative is provided. | MANUAL |
4 · Robust
| 4.1.1 · A | Parsing (Obsolete) Markup is well-formed. (Obsolete in WCAG 2.2 — listed for VPAT completeness.) | AUTO |
| 4.1.2 · A | Name, Role, Value User interface components have programmatically determinable names, roles, states, and values. | AUTO |
| 4.1.3 · AA | Status Messages Status messages can be programmatically determined through role or properties without receiving focus. | AI-ASSISTED |
This classification is the same one that drives every limena report and VPAT. It is why our conformance tables mark a criterion Not Evaluated instead of quietly claiming a pass. When a criterion needs a person, limena lets you hand the whole audit to a vetted accessibility specialist without leaving the tool.
Honesty is the feature.
See where your site stands, with every finding labelled for what it is. No over-claiming, ever.