Accessibility

Did you know Kibana makes a public statement about our commitment to creating an accessible product for people with disabilities? We do! It's very important all of our apps are accessible.

Learn how EUI tackles accessibility
If you don't use EUI, follow the same EUI accessibility standards

For the underlying commitment, see the Build accessible software by default principle.

Accessibility automation in Kibana

Kibana maintains accessibility quality using a layered, hybrid approach:

1. Code‑level checks

Tool: @elastic/eslint-plugin-eui – custom rules for the ESLint library
Enforces: Correct ARIA usage, required labels, prohibited patterns, and safer EUI practices
Action: Resolve all warnings before committing (treat warnings as blockers)

2. Render‑level checks

CI tooling: running axe-core check in FTR, Scout and Cypress tests.
Enforces: Semantics, landmarks, contrast, focus order, interaction patterns.
Note: All tests are based on the common configuration defined in src/platform/packages/shared/kbn-axe-config/index.ts.
Usage:
- FTR a11y tests (tests must be placed in the test/accessibility folder):

		const a11y = getService('a11y');
...
it('has no detectable a11y violations on load', async () => {
  await common.navigateToApp('dashboard');
  await a11y.testAppSnapshot();
});
		
	

Scout using page.checkA11y. Run an accessibility check on a specific root element:

		test('has no detectable a11y violations', async ({ page }) => {
  const { violations } = await page.checkA11y({ include: ['{CSS selector of root element you are testing}'] });
  expect(violations).toHaveLength(0);
});
		
	

Cypress using cy.checkA11y. A custom Cypress command is available to run accessibility checks:

		it('has no detectable a11y violations on load', () => {
  cy.checkA11y();
});
		
	

Action: Improve coverage — add or extend tests while developing features.

3. Ready check (execute before commit)

Favor EUI components and honor their accessibility playbook
Zero tolerance for a11y ESLint warnings
No new axe violations in updated components — keep it clean
VoiceOver sanity check: new or modified interactive areas should clearly announce their purpose