Accessibility Rules (BACC001–BACC003)

July 3, 2026 · View on GitHub

Rules that detect accessibility and inclusive design concerns in Gherkin feature files, such as ableist language, missing accessibility test coverage, and color-only information.

Default severity: WARNING

BACC001: ableist-language

Detects ableist terms in step text and scenario names. Ableist language reinforces stereotypes and should be replaced with person-first or identity-first language.

The rule checks for the following terms and suggests inclusive alternatives:

Term	Suggested alternative
`disabled`	`person with a disability`
`handicapped`	`person with a disability`
`crippled`	`person with a mobility impairment`
`mute`	`person with a speech impairment`
`deaf-mute`	`person who is deaf and non-speaking`
`wheelchair-bound`	`wheelchair user`
`confined to a wheelchair`	`wheelchair user`
`suffering from`	`living with`
`afflicted with`	`living with`
`victim of`	`person affected by`
`normal person`	`person without disabilities`
`able-bodied`	`person without disabilities`

Tags: accessibility, inclusive-language, ableism

Since: 2.4.0

Example

??? example "Before → After"

**Before:**

```gherkin
Feature: User management

  Scenario: Register disabled user
    Given a disabled user
    When they register
```

**After:**

```gherkin
Feature: User management

  Scenario: Register user with a disability
    Given a user with a disability
    When they register
```

How it works

Iterates over all scenarios.
Checks the scenario name for ableist terms.
Checks each step text for ableist terms.
Reports a diagnostic with the matched term and its inclusive alternative.

Configuration

This rule has no configurable parameters.

BACC002: missing-accessibility-scenario

Detects features with UI-related tags (@ui, @frontend, @web, @e2e) that lack accessibility test scenarios (tagged @accessibility or @a11y). Accessibility testing should be part of UI feature coverage.

Tags: accessibility, coverage, ui

Since: 2.4.0

Example

??? example "Before → After"

**Before:**

```gherkin
@ui
Feature: Login form

  Scenario: Successful login
    Given the user is on the login page
```

**After:**

```gherkin
@ui
Feature: Login form

  Scenario: Successful login
    Given the user is on the login page

  @accessibility
  Scenario: Login form is keyboard accessible
    Given the user is on the login page
    Then the form can be completed with the keyboard
```

How it works

Collects all tags from the feature and its scenarios.
Checks if any tag matches the UI tags set: ui, frontend, web, e2e.
Checks if any tag matches the accessibility tags set: accessibility, a11y.
If UI tags are present but no accessibility tags are found, reports a diagnostic on the feature suggesting to add an accessibility scenario.

Configuration

This rule has no configurable parameters.

BACC003: color-only-contrast

Detects steps that reference color alone to convey information (e.g., "the button is red"). Relying solely on color is inaccessible to users with color vision deficiency. Tests should verify that information is also conveyed through text, icons, patterns, or other non-color cues.

The rule checks for color words (red, green, blue, yellow, orange, purple, pink, black, white, gray, grey, brown) and non-color indicators (text, label, icon, symbol, message, error, warning, success, border, underline, pattern, shape). If a step contains a color word but no non-color indicator, it is flagged.

Tags: accessibility, color, contrast

Since: 2.4.0

Example

??? example "Before → After"

**Before:**

```gherkin
Feature: Status display

  Scenario: Error state
    Then the button is red
```

**After:**

```gherkin
Feature: Status display

  Scenario: Error state
    Then the button is red and shows "Error"
```

How it works

Iterates over all scenarios and their steps.
For each step, checks if the text contains a color word.
If a color word is found, checks if the text also contains a non-color indicator (e.g., text, label, icon, error).
If color is present but no non-color indicator is found, reports a diagnostic suggesting to add a text, icon, or pattern indicator.

Configuration

This rule has no configurable parameters.