/kb-open-source-accessibility-framework

name: kb-open-source-accessibility-framework
description: "Reference data, not a reviewer. Open Source Accessibility Framework: phases, action IDs and cadence, tracking issue, framing."
license: MIT
disable-model-invocation: true
user-invocable: false
metadata:
  tier: reference
  domain: github
  output: none
  effort: low
  title: "Open Source Accessibility Framework"
  osaf-commit: "b2ea31a2e38cbab3e774e4142575b78876b9b53f"
  osaf-source: "https://github.com/open-source-accessibility/Open-Source-Accessibility-Framework"

Reference data for the Open Source Accessibility Framework (OSAF). Open this when a task names the framework, one of its phases or actions, the tracking issue, or the project board, and you need the facts rather than a guess: which action an ID belongs to, its cadence, which phase skill implements it, or how registration works. The four phase skills carry the Definitions of Done; this file is the index above them.

What the framework is

The Open Source Accessibility Framework helps open source projects make accessibility part of how the project works, one practical step at a time. It is released under the MIT license (copyright GitHub, Inc.), hosted by the open-source-accessibility organization and sponsored by GitHub and Microsoft, at [open-source-accessibility.github.io](https://open-source-accessibility.github.io/Open-Source-Accessibility-Framework/), with source in [open-source-accessibility/Open-Source-Accessibility-Framework](https://github.com/open-source-accessibility/Open-Source-Accessibility-Framework).

It is an improvement framework, not a certification, score or ranking. A project that participates is making its accessibility work public and trackable, not claiming to be accessible. Every skill in this package that touches the framework holds to that.

• Say: the framework supports steady, visible improvement; projects start

small and adapt the actions; progress and remaining barriers are visible; automated checks supplement manual testing and community feedback.

• Never say: a project is certified, compliant or fully accessible because it

participates; completing the framework guarantees conformance with any standard; automated testing finds every barrier; AI output replaces accessibility expertise or feedback from people with disabilities.

Phases and outcomes

The four phases, the outcome each one aims at, and the skill in this package that implements it. The framework lists them in this order; when a user says "phase 1" or "phase 3" they mean this order, but the framework itself does not number phases.

| Phase | Outcome | Actions | Tasks | Skill | |---|---|---:|---:|---| | Foundational | Make the project's accessibility commitment visible and establish clear reporting and tracking paths | 2 | 4 | `osaf-foundational` | | Workflow | Integrate accessibility into documentation, design, triage, pull requests, ownership, and dependency decisions | 10 | 27 | `osaf-workflow` | | Testing | Add repeatable automated and manual accessibility checks for core experiences and documentation | 6 | 17 | `osaf-testing` | | Community | Respond to accessibility feedback, share progress, invite participation, and support accessible collaboration | 6 | 19 | `osaf-community` |

Foundational comes first. The other three can follow in whatever order suits the project. A "task" in the framework's counts is one item of an action's Definition of Done.

Effort and cadence

The framework's own definitions, used in the action index below.

• Effort: **Quick** is under an hour, **Moderate** one to three hours,

**Extended** more than three hours. Effort varies by project size and maturity.

• Cadence: **One-time setup** is done once and revisited when needs change;

**Initial setup + ongoing** establishes something that must then be maintained or used; **Ongoing** is repeated as part of normal project work.

Action index

Every action in the framework with its exact ID, task count, typical initial effort and cadence. The ID is the framework's slug of the action title; the heading anchor in the phase document is the number, a hyphen, and the ID.

| Phase | No. | ID | Tasks | Effort | Cadence | |---|---:|---|---:|---|---| | Foundational | 1 | `create-an-accessibilitymd` | 2 | Quick | One-time setup | | Foundational | 2 | `use-an-accessibility-label-to-track-relevant-work` | 2 | Quick | Initial setup + ongoing | | Workflow | 1 | `surface-accessibility-expectations-for-contributors` | 3 | Moderate | Initial setup + ongoing | | Workflow | 2 | `create-an-accessible-path-for-reporting-accessibility-bugs` | 2 | Moderate | Initial setup + ongoing | | Workflow | 3 | `establish-a-simple-accessibility-triage-approach` | 3 | Moderate | Initial setup + ongoing | | Workflow | 4 | `add-an-accessibility-section-to-the-pull-request-template` | 3 | Quick | Initial setup + ongoing | | Workflow | 5 | `tag-beginner-friendly-accessibility-issues` | 2 | Quick | Ongoing | | Workflow | 6 | `tag-accessibility-issues-where-you-need-expert-help` | 2 | Quick | Ongoing | | Workflow | 7 | `assign-accessibility-ownership` | 2 | Quick | Initial setup + ongoing | | Workflow | 8 | `make-docs-accessible-by-default` | 3 | Extended | Ongoing | | Workflow | 9 | `design-accessible-interfaces` | 3 | Extended | Ongoing | | Workflow | 10 | `evaluate-key-dependencies-and-upstream-blockers` | 4 | Extended | Ongoing | | Testing | 1 | `add-at-least-one-automated-accessibility-check` | 3 | Moderate | Initial setup + ongoing | | Testing | 2 | `perform-a-keyboard-only-smoke-test-for-core-flows` | 3 | Moderate | Ongoing | | Testing | 3 | `perform-a-screen-reader-spot-check-for-core-flows` | 3 | Moderate | Ongoing | | Testing | 4 | `perform-manual-accessibility-checks` | 3 | Extended | Ongoing | | Testing | 5 | `perform-accessibility-checks-for-documentation` | 3 | Moderate | Ongoing | | Testing | 6 | `document-supported-environments-and-known-limitations` | 2 | Moderate | Initial setup + ongoing | | C