Accessibility review of cart feature

reports/a11y-review-report.md

@@ -0,0 +1,225 @@
+# Accessibility Review Report: Cart Feature
+
+**Date:** December 1, 2025  
+**Reviewer:** Accessibility Expert Agent  
+**Feature Under Review:** Shopping Cart (Add to Cart, Cart Icon, Cart Drawer)
+
+---
+
+## Executive Summary
+
+This report evaluates the accessibility of the Cart feature in the Album Collection Music Store application. The evaluation covers the cart icon, add to cart buttons, cart drawer, and the overall user experience for neurodiverse users.
+
+Overall, the cart feature demonstrates **good accessibility foundations** with proper ARIA labels, semantic HTML, and visual feedback. However, there are several areas that need improvement to ensure full WCAG 2.1 compliance and optimal experience for all users.
+
+---
+
+## Screenshots
+
+### Main Album Page with Cart Icon
+![Album Collection Main Page](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9b42a1e4-8f86-4a58-b9d5-baf8ca9e50ed)
+
+### Album Added to Cart (Visual Feedback)
+![Album Added to Cart showing "In Cart" state](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ac300924-8d1a-434a-a944-028eb1ab6864)
+
+### Cart Icon with Item Count
+![Cart Icon with Badge and Total](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/ecee91fa-623f-4047-92a4-1fa70c22cbde)
+
+---
+
+## Accessibility Findings
+
+### ✅ Positive Findings
+
+| Finding | Component | Notes |
+|---------|-----------|-------|
+| **ARIA Labels Present** | Cart Icon, Close Button, Quantity Buttons, Remove Button | All interactive elements have appropriate `aria-label` attributes |
+| **Semantic HTML** | Cart Drawer | Uses proper heading hierarchy (h2, h3, h4) for structure |
+| **Visual State Changes** | Add to Cart Button | Button changes to "In Cart" with checkmark icon and green color |
+| **Keyboard Accessible Buttons** | All Buttons | Standard `<button>` elements are used throughout |
+| **Alternative Text for Images** | Album Images | `alt` attribute properly set to album title |
+| **Focus Management** | Buttons | Default browser focus styles are preserved |
+
+### ⚠️ Issues Identified
+
+#### 1. **Missing Focus Trap in Cart Drawer** (High Priority)
+- **Component:** `CartDrawer.vue`
+- **Issue:** When the cart drawer opens, focus is not trapped within the drawer. Users can tab to elements behind the overlay.
+- **WCAG Criterion:** 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A)
+- **Impact:** Keyboard users may lose context when navigating
+- **Recommendation:** Implement focus trap when drawer is open using a focus-trap library or custom implementation
+
+#### 2. **No Live Region Announcements** (High Priority)
+- **Component:** `AlbumCard.vue`, `CartDrawer.vue`
+- **Issue:** When items are added/removed from cart, there's no ARIA live region announcement for screen reader users
+- **WCAG Criterion:** 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA)
+- **Impact:** Screen reader users won't know when cart updates occur
+- **Recommendation:** Add `aria-live="polite"` region to announce cart changes
+
+#### 3. **Insufficient Color Contrast for Some Elements** (Medium Priority)
+- **Component:** Various
+- **Issue:** The text-secondary color (#6c757d) on light backgrounds may not meet WCAG AA contrast ratio of 4.5:1
+- **WCAG Criterion:** 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA)
+- **Impact:** Users with low vision may struggle to read secondary text
+- **Recommendation:** Increase contrast ratio for secondary text to at least 4.5:1
+
+#### 4. **Cart Badge Missing Screen Reader Context** (Medium Priority)
+- **Component:** `CartIcon.vue`
+- **Issue:** The cart badge shows item count but lacks context for screen readers
+- **Current Code:** `<span class="cart-badge">{{ itemCount }}</span>`
+- **WCAG Criterion:** 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A)
+- **Impact:** Screen readers only announce the number without context
+- **Recommendation:** Add visually hidden text: "items in cart"
+
+#### 5. **Focus Not Returned After Drawer Close** (Medium Priority)
+- **Component:** `CartDrawer.vue`
+- **Issue:** When cart drawer closes, focus is not returned to the cart icon button
+- **WCAG Criterion:** 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A)
+- **Impact:** Keyboard users lose their place in the page
+- **Recommendation:** Return focus to the trigger element (cart icon) when drawer closes
+
+#### 6. **Motion Preferences Not Respected** (Low Priority)
+- **Component:** Multiple (animations/transitions)
+- **Issue:** Hover animations and drawer slide transitions don't respect `prefers-reduced-motion`
+- **WCAG Criterion:** 2.3.3 Animation from Interactions (Level AAA)
+- **Impact:** Users with vestibular disorders may experience discomfort
+- **Recommendation:** Add `@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)` rules
+
+#### 7. **Empty State Icon Using Emoji** (Low Priority)
+- **Component:** `CartDrawer.vue`
+- **Issue:** Empty cart state uses emoji (🛒) which may not render consistently
+- **Current Code:** `<div class="empty-icon">🛒</div>`
+- **Impact:** Inconsistent experience across platforms/screen readers
+- **Recommendation:** Use SVG icon with appropriate alt text
+
+---
+
+## Detailed Component Analysis
+
+### CartIcon.vue
+
+**Current Accessibility Features:**
+- ✅ `aria-label="Shopping cart"` on button
+- ✅ SVG icon is decorative (no alt needed)
+- ✅ Total price visible when items in cart
+
+**Improvements Needed:**
+```vue
+<!-- Current -->
+<span v-if="itemCount > 0" class="cart-badge">{{ itemCount }}</span>
+
+<!-- Recommended -->
+<span v-if="itemCount > 0" class="cart-badge">
+  {{ itemCount }}
+  <span class="visually-hidden">items in cart</span>
+</span>
+```
+
+### CartDrawer.vue
+
+**Current Accessibility Features:**
+- ✅ Close button has `aria-label="Close cart"`
+- ✅ Quantity buttons have appropriate aria-labels
+- ✅ Remove button has `aria-label="Remove from cart"`
+- ✅ Proper heading hierarchy
+
+**Improvements Needed:**
+1. Add `role="dialog"` and `aria-modal="true"` to drawer
+2. Add `aria-labelledby` pointing to the "Shopping Cart" heading
+3. Implement focus trap
+4. Add live region for cart updates
+
+### AlbumCard.vue
+
+**Current Accessibility Features:**
+- ✅ Images have alt text
+- ✅ Buttons are semantic `<button>` elements
+- ✅ Visual "In Cart" state indicator
+
+**Improvements Needed:**
+1. Add `aria-pressed` state to add to cart button when item is in cart
+2. Announce cart updates to screen readers
+
+---
+
+## Recommendations Summary
+
+### High Priority (Must Fix)
+1. Implement focus trap in cart drawer
+2. Add ARIA live region for cart status updates
+3. Add `role="dialog"` and `aria-modal="true"` to drawer
+
+### Medium Priority (Should Fix)
+4. Improve cart badge screen reader context
+5. Return focus to trigger element when drawer closes
+6. Improve color contrast for secondary text
+
+### Low Priority (Nice to Have)
+7. Respect `prefers-reduced-motion` media query
+8. Replace emoji icons with SVGs
+
+---
+
+## Code Recommendations
+
+### Focus Trap Implementation
+```vue
+// In CartDrawer.vue
+import { useFocusTrap } from '@vueuse/integrations/useFocusTrap'
+
+const drawerRef = ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+const { hasFocus, activate, deactivate } = useFocusTrap(drawerRef)
+
+watch(() => props.isOpen, (isOpen) => {
+  if (isOpen) {
+    activate()
+  } else {
+    deactivate()
+  }
+})
+```
+
+### Live Region for Cart Updates
+```vue
+// Add in App.vue or a global component
+<div 
+  aria-live="polite" 
+  aria-atomic="true" 
+  class="visually-hidden"
+>
+  {{ cartStatusMessage }}
+</div>
+```
+
+### Reduced Motion Support
+```css
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .cart-drawer,
+  .cart-drawer-overlay,
+  .album-card,
+  .quantity-btn {
+    transition: none;
+    animation: none;
+  }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Conclusion
+
+The Cart feature has a solid foundation for accessibility with proper semantic HTML and ARIA labels on interactive elements. The main areas requiring attention are:
+
+1. **Focus management** - Critical for keyboard navigation
+2. **Screen reader announcements** - Essential for dynamic content updates
+3. **Color contrast** - Important for users with low vision
+
+Addressing the high-priority items will significantly improve the experience for users who rely on assistive technologies and ensure WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance.
+
+---
+
+## References
+
+- [WCAG 2.1 Guidelines](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/)
+- [WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices - Dialog Pattern](https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/patterns/dialog-modal/)
+- [Inclusive Components - Toggle Buttons](https://inclusive-components.design/toggle-button/)