---
description: "Accessibility review rubric and dual-format ADO + GitHub backlog handoff with inlined planning disclaimer"
applyTo: '**/.copilot-tracking/accessibility/**'
---

# Accessibility Backlog Handoff

Phase 6 of the Accessibility Planner. Renders the Phase 5 `workItemSeeds`, `evidenceRegister`, `tradeoffLog`, and `crossPlannerRefs` into formatted backlog work items for Azure DevOps, GitHub, or both. Applies the review rubric, derives suggested priorities, attaches autonomy tiers, sanitizes internal tracking content, and includes the planning disclaimer block pinned to this file (L7 disclaimer lever) in generated handoff artifacts.

This phase consumes state produced by `accessibility-impact-assessment.instructions.md` and writes handoff artifacts under `.copilot-tracking/`. The phase exits when the user confirms the rendered backlog and the planner sets `gates.backlog-handoff.confirmed = true`.

## Handoff Protocol

Phase 6 executes a fixed six-step sequence. Steps run in order; each step gates the next.

1. **Read state** — Load `state.json` for the project slug. Validate that `gates.impact-evidence.confirmed = true` and that `workItemSeeds`, `evidenceRegister`, and (when populated) `tradeoffLog` are present.
2. **Resolve target system** — Read `userPreferences.targetSystem` if set. When unset, ask the user whether to render `ado`, `github`, or `both`. Persist the response under `userPreferences.targetSystem`.
3. **Run the review rubric** — Walk the checkpoints and quality checklist below. Record findings into the Accessibility Review Summary template. Block the rest of the phase if any checkpoint is Not Met.
4. **Render work items** — Apply the dual-format templates to every seed in `workItemSeeds`. Derive suggested priority and autonomy tier per the mapping table. Attach evidence cross-links, tradeoff cross-links, and cross-planner refs.
5. **Sanitize and emit** — Apply the content sanitization protocol, write ADO output to `.copilot-tracking/workitems/backlog/{project-slug}-a11y/work-items.md` and GitHub output to `.copilot-tracking/github-issues/discovery/{project-slug}-a11y/issues-plan.md`, include the disclaimer block in the generated artifacts, then emit the professional-review reminder and handoff summary.
6. **Finalize state** — Update `state.json` per the Final State Update section. Set `gates.backlog-handoff.confirmed = true` only after the user explicitly confirms the rendered backlog.

The phase is non-destructive. Re-running Phase 6 regenerates output files in place but preserves any user-supplied content under a `## User Notes` heading at the bottom of each output file.

## Review Rubric

The rubric has two parts: binary checkpoints that gate the phase, and a six-dimension quality checklist that informs the suggested review status.

### Review Checkpoints

Every checkpoint must read Met before work items render. A Not Met checkpoint blocks the phase and returns the user to the named upstream phase.

| Checkpoint            | Pass Criterion                                                                                                                                 | Block Returns To              |
|-----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Phase Gates           | `gates.discovery`, `gates.framework-selection`, `gates.standards-mapping`, `gates.plan-risk-assessment`, `gates.impact-evidence` all `true`    | Identity Phase Recovery       |
| Seed Coverage         | Every `controlMappings` entry with `status` in (`gap`, `partial`) maps to at least one `workItemSeeds` entry OR a `deferredMitigations` record | Phase 5: Impact and Evidence  |
| Evidence Linkage      | Every seed lists at least one `evidenceRefs` entry that resolves to an `evidenceRegister` id                                                   | Phase 5: Impact and Evidence  |
| Tradeoff Acceptance   | Every `tradeoffLog` entry has `acceptedBy` populated when seeds reference it                                                                   | Phase 4: Plan Risk Assessment |
| Framework Disablement | Every framework with `enabled: false` carries an atomic `disabled` + `disabledReason` + `disabledAtPhase` bundle                               | Phase 2: Framework Selection  |
| Cross-Planner Refs    | When `raiPlanRef`, `securityPlanRef`, or `ssscPlanRef` is set, `crossPlannerRefs` contains at least one entry pointing at the linked plan      | Phase 5: Impact and Evidence  |

### Review Quality Checklist

Six dimensions inform the suggested review status (Ready for stakeholder review, Additional attention suggested, Significant areas need further consideration). Each dimension scores Strong / Adequate / Limited based on the criteria below.

| Dimension               | Strong                                                                      | Adequate                                               | Limited                                              |
|-------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| Framework Coverage      | All enabled frameworks have control mappings for every in-scope surface     | One enabled framework has partial surface coverage     | Multiple enabled frameworks missing surface coverage |
| Surface Coverage        | Every `project.surfaces` value has at least one seed                        | One surface missing seeds despite gaps in mappings     | Multiple surfaces missing seeds                      |
| Persona Impact          | Every critical/major seed names affected `personaImpact`                    | Some seeds omit `personaImpact` but rationale recorded | `personaImpact` absent across most seeds             |
| Evidence Quality        | Evidence is `verified` for >75% of seeds                                    | Evidence is `verified` or `pending` for >75% of seeds  | Evidence is mostly `pending` or missing              |
| Tradeoff Resolution     | All tradeoffs accepted with mitigations and owners                          | Tradeoffs accepted but mitigations underspecified      | Tradeoffs open or missing owner                      |
| Risk Tier Justification | `riskClassification.tier` matches screening signals with explicit rationale | Tier recorded but rationale brief                      | Tier set without rationale or contradicts signals    |

Score mapping for the summary: Strong across all six = Ready for stakeholder review; one or two Limited = Additional attention suggested; three or more Limited = Significant areas need further consideration.

## Accessibility Review Summary

Populate this template before rendering work items. Insert it as the first section of the ADO and GitHub output files.

```markdown
# Accessibility Review Summary

## Project: {project.name} ({project.slug})
## Date: {YYYY-MM-DD}
## Risk Tier: {basic|standard|comprehensive}
## Suggested Review Status: {Ready for stakeholder review | Additional attention suggested | Significant areas need further consideration}

### Frameworks In Scope

| Framework | Version | Conformance Level | Notes |
|-----------|---------|-------------------|-------|
| {id} | {version} | {A|AA|AAA|N/A} | {notes} |

### Surfaces In Scope

| Surface   | Personas Affected | Open Seeds |
|-----------|-------------------|------------|
| {surface} | {personas}        | {count}    |

### Quality Checklist

| Dimension | Score | Key Observation |
|-----------|-------|-----------------|
| Framework Coverage | {Strong|Adequate|Limited} | {observation} |
| Surface Coverage | {Strong|Adequate|Limited} | {observation} |
| Persona Impact | {Strong|Adequate|Limited} | {observation} |
| Evidence Quality | {Strong|Adequate|Limited} | {observation} |
| Tradeoff Resolution | {Strong|Adequate|Limited} | {observation} |
| Risk Tier Justification | {Strong|Adequate|Limited} | {observation} |

### Cross-Planner References

| Linked Planner | Plan Reference | Seeds Sharing Controls |
|----------------|----------------|------------------------|
| {rai-planner|security-planner|sssc-planner} | {planRef} | {count} |

### AI-Generated Content Note

This summary was drafted with AI assistance. Review and validate every seed, evidence link, and tradeoff before treating the backlog as authoritative.
```

## Work Item Categories

Five categories classify accessibility work items by purpose and urgency.

| Category                   | Description                                                              | Suggested Horizon  | Priority Range      | Source                                                              |
|----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|---------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Remediation                | Close a `gap` on a WCAG Level A or Section 508 functional criterion      | Pre-Production     | Immediate–Near-term | `controlMappings.status = gap` and `severity = critical`            |
| Control Implementation     | Add or harden an accessibility control covering a partial mapping        | Pre-Production     | Near-term–Planned   | `controlMappings.status = partial` and `severity in (major, minor)` |
| Documentation              | Author or update VPAT, ACR, accessibility statement, or training docs    | Ongoing Governance | Planned–Backlog     | Evidence type `document` or `attestation` missing                   |
| Monitoring and Audit Setup | Schedule recurring audits, automated scans, or assistive-tech regression | Early Operations   | Planned             | Evidence type `audit-result` or `test-result` missing               |
| Enhancement                | Pursue AAA, COGA, or persona-driven uplift beyond baseline               | Ongoing Governance | Backlog             | `severity = enhancement`                                            |

## Accessibility Tags

Tags apply to work items in both ADO and GitHub for filtering, dashboards, and cross-planner queries. GitHub strips the `a11y:` prefix when rendering labels for repos that disallow colons.

| Tag                       | Purpose                                           | Applied When                                  |
|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| `a11y:wcag-22`            | WCAG 2.2 conformance work                         | Seed `framework = wcag-22`                    |
| `a11y:aria-apg`           | ARIA Authoring Practices Guide work               | Seed `framework = aria-apg`                   |
| `a11y:coga`               | Cognitive Accessibility work                      | Seed `framework = coga`                       |
| `a11y:section-508`        | US Section 508 conformance work                   | Seed `framework = section-508`                |
| `a11y:en-301-549`         | EN 301 549 conformance work                       | Seed `framework = en-301-549`                 |
| `a11y:web`                | Web surface affected                              | Seed `surface = web`                          |
| `a11y:mobile`             | Mobile surface affected                           | Seed `surface = mobile`                       |
| `a11y:desktop`            | Desktop surface affected                          | Seed `surface = desktop`                      |
| `a11y:documents`          | Document surface affected                         | Seed `surface = documents`                    |
| `a11y:kiosk`              | Kiosk surface affected                            | Seed `surface = kiosk`                        |
| `a11y:voice`              | Voice surface affected                            | Seed `surface = voice`                        |
| `a11y:tradeoff`           | Originates from an accepted tradeoff              | Seed references `tradeoffLog` entry           |
| `a11y:cross-ref-security` | Cross-references a Security Planner item          | `crossPlannerRefs.planner = security-planner` |
| `a11y:cross-ref-rai`      | Cross-references an RAI Planner item              | `crossPlannerRefs.planner = rai-planner`      |
| `a11y:cross-ref-sssc`     | Cross-references an SSSC Planner item (VPAT, EAA) | `crossPlannerRefs.planner = sssc-planner`     |

## Target System Selection

Target system selection (ADO, GitHub, both) follows the canonical convention in `.github/skills/shared/backlog-templates/SKILL.md` under the Overview's Output Targets table. Accessibility emits the neutral intermediate to `.copilot-tracking/accessibility/{slug}/backlog-handoff.md`; platform-specific files derive per the skill's Per-Platform Field Mappings.

## Dual-Format Backlog Templates

Both ADO and GitHub formats follow the canonical templates, field blocks, augmentation keys, title prefix, and temporary-ID conventions defined in `.github/skills/shared/backlog-templates/SKILL.md`. Read the accessibility entries under "ADO Work Item Template", "GitHub Issue Template", and "Work Item ID Naming Convention" at emission time. Accessibility tag and label vocabulary lives in `## Accessibility Tags` above.

## Severity-to-Field Mapping

Severity drives ADO Priority numerics and GitHub label sets. The planner emits these field values without renegotiating with the user.

| Severity    | ADO Priority | GitHub Labels                              | Notes                                                                 |
|-------------|--------------|--------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| critical    | 1            | `priority:immediate`, `severity:critical`  | WCAG Level A gap or Section 508 functional performance criterion gap  |
| major       | 2            | `priority:near-term`, `severity:major`     | WCAG AA gap or Level A partial                                        |
| minor       | 3            | `priority:planned`, `severity:minor`       | WCAG AA partial or AAA gap when AAA is in scope                       |
| enhancement | 4            | `priority:backlog`, `severity:enhancement` | Opportunistic uplift; covered mapping with persona-driven improvement |

When the seed framework is `coga` and `riskClassification.tier = comprehensive`, escalate the severity one level (critical stays critical; enhancement becomes minor). Record the escalation in the seed's `notes` field for audit traceability.

## Autonomy-Tier Routing

The three-tier autonomy model is defined canonically in `.github/skills/shared/backlog-templates/SKILL.md` under `Autonomy-Tier Enumeration`. Accessibility uses the canonical vocabulary directly: `manual`, `supervised`, and `autonomous` (matching the seed-schema `autonomyTier` enum). Accessibility-specific severity-to-tier routing: seed `severity = critical` or seed references an open tradeoff routes to `manual`; seed `severity in (major, minor)` routes to `supervised`; seed `severity = enhancement` with `evidence.status = verified` routes to `autonomous`. The default tier on first use is `supervised`. Persist the user's response under `userPreferences.autonomyTier`.

## Suggested Priority Derivation

Derive suggested priority, autonomy tier, and remediation horizon from the seed metadata. The table below is the canonical mapping; the planner does not negotiate these defaults with the user during rendering.

| Seed Condition                                                          | Suggested Priority | Autonomy Tier | Suggested Horizon  |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|---------------|--------------------|
| Severity `critical` and framework in (`wcag-22`, `section-508`)         | Immediate          | manual        | Pre-Production     |
| Severity `critical` and framework in (`aria-apg`, `coga`, `en-301-549`) | Immediate          | manual        | Pre-Production     |
| Severity `major` and `assistiveTechValidated` required                  | Near-term          | supervised    | Pre-Production     |
| Severity `major` and `assistiveTechValidated` not required              | Near-term          | supervised    | Early Operations   |
| Severity `minor` and `wcagLevel = AA`                                   | Planned            | supervised    | Early Operations   |
| Severity `minor` and `wcagLevel = AAA`                                  | Backlog            | supervised    | Ongoing Governance |
| Severity `enhancement`                                                  | Backlog            | autonomous    | Ongoing Governance |
| References open tradeoff (`tradeoffLog.acceptedBy` absent)              | Hold               | manual        | Pre-Production     |

Within the same priority level, order remediation items before control implementation items, and order WCAG Level A items before AA items. Consider persona-impact severity: seeds affecting screen-reader and cognitive-load personas receive earlier attention within their priority band.

When multiple conditions apply to a single seed, use the most restrictive (highest priority, lowest autonomy) row.

When work item A depends on work item B, note the dependency in both work item bodies and place B earlier in the handoff sequence.

## Cross-Planner Evidence Cross-Links

Accessibility seeds frequently share evidence and controls with the Security, RAI, and SSSC planners. The Phase 5 `crossPlannerRefs` array enumerates these relationships; Phase 6 renders them as cross-reference fields on the work items.

Rules:

* Search Security, RAI, and SSSC backlog output files (`work-items.md`, `issues-plan.md`) before creating new work items. Link to existing items rather than duplicate.
* Cross-reference format in ADO: `Accessibility-Ref: WI-A11Y-{NNN}`, `Security-Ref: WI-SEC-{NNN}`, `RAI-Ref: WI-RAI-{NNN}`, `SSSC-Ref: WI-SSSC-{NNN}`.
* Cross-reference format in GitHub: `Accessibility: #{NNN}`, `Security: #{NNN}`, `RAI: #{NNN}`, `SSSC: #{NNN}`.
* The handoff summary includes a cross-reference table listing every overlapping item.
* When a Security or RAI item already exists for a shared control, the accessibility item extends rather than duplicates, and uses tag `a11y:cross-ref-security` or `a11y:cross-ref-rai`.

Cross-reference table template:

| Accessibility Item | Linked Item  | Planner   | Relationship                          | Notes         |
|--------------------|--------------|-----------|---------------------------------------|---------------|
| WI-A11Y-{NNN}      | WI-{X}-{NNN} | {planner} | shared-control / informs / depends-on | {description} |

Relationship semantics inherit from the Phase 5 `crossPlannerRefs.relationship` enum:

* shared-control: Same underlying control implementation satisfies both planners.
* informs: Linked planner item provides context or evidence the accessibility item consumes.
* depends-on: The accessibility item cannot be closed until the linked planner item is closed.

## VPAT and EAA Evidence Emission Rules

VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) and EAA (European Accessibility Act) attestations are the canonical artifacts the SSSC Planner consumes for supply chain disclosure. Phase 6 emits dedicated work items for these artifacts when downstream attestation is required.

Emission rules:

* When `ssscPlanRef` is set, emit one Documentation-category work item per requested attestation type (VPAT 2.5, EU EAA conformance assessment, ACR refresh) referencing the relevant `evidenceRegister` entries.
* The VPAT work item lists every WCAG 2.2 criterion mapping with surface coverage and conformance status (Supports, Partially Supports, Does Not Support, Not Applicable). Source the conformance status from `controlMappings.status` (`covered = Supports`, `partial = Partially Supports`, `gap = Does Not Support`, `not-applicable = Not Applicable`).
* The EAA work item lists every EN 301 549 criterion mapping with the same status translation and adds a regulatory-scope field referencing `project.regulatoryScope`.
* Both items tag `a11y:cross-ref-sssc` and include the SSSC plan slug in the description.
* Evidence references on VPAT and EAA items must include at least one `attestation` or `audit-result` evidence type. When none exist, emit a Monitoring and Audit Setup work item first and mark the VPAT/EAA item as depends-on the audit item.
* When the project ships AI-generated UI (`project.aiGeneratedSurfaces = true`) and `raiPlanRef` is set, the VPAT work item adds an RAI cross-reference and notes any AI-content disclosure obligations from the RAI plan.

The SSSC Planner pulls these work items into its supply chain evidence inventory by querying for tag `a11y:cross-ref-sssc`. Keep work item titles stable across re-runs so SSSC cross-references remain valid.

## Content Sanitization Protocol

Content sanitization follows the five-rule protocol in `.github/skills/shared/backlog-templates/SKILL.md` under `Content Sanitization Protocol`. Accessibility-specific standards identifiers that must be preserved verbatim per rule 4: WCAG criterion IDs (for example, `1.1.1`, `1.3.5`, `2.4.7`), WCAG levels (`A`, `AA`, `AAA`), Section 508 chapter and clause IDs, EN 301 549 clause numbers, and EAA article references. Debug-mode output remains under `.copilot-tracking/accessibility/{slug}/debug/`.

## Handoff Summary Format

After generating all work items, produce a handoff summary covering totals, cross-references, and outstanding decisions. Append the summary to both output files and to `.copilot-tracking/accessibility/{project-slug}/handoff-summary.md`.

```markdown
# Accessibility Backlog Handoff Summary

## System: {ado|github|both}
## Date: {YYYY-MM-DD}
## Risk Tier: {basic|standard|comprehensive}
## Suggested Review Status: {Ready for stakeholder review | Additional attention suggested | Significant areas need further consideration}

### Work Item Summary

| Category                   | Count   | Immediate | Near-term | Planned | Backlog |
|----------------------------|---------|-----------|-----------|---------|---------|
| Remediation                | {n}     | {n}       | {n}       | {n}     | {n}     |
| Control Implementation     | {n}     | {n}       | {n}       | {n}     | {n}     |
| Documentation              | {n}     | {n}       | {n}       | {n}     | {n}     |
| Monitoring and Audit Setup | {n}     | {n}       | {n}       | {n}     | {n}     |
| Enhancement                | {n}     | {n}       | {n}       | {n}     | {n}     |
| **Total**                  | **{n}** | **{n}**   | **{n}**   | **{n}** | **{n}** |

### Severity Breakdown

| Severity    | Count |
|-------------|-------|
| critical    | {n}   |
| major       | {n}   |
| minor       | {n}   |
| enhancement | {n}   |

### Surface Breakdown

| Surface   | Count |
|-----------|-------|
| web       | {n}   |
| mobile    | {n}   |
| desktop   | {n}   |
| documents | {n}   |
| kiosk     | {n}   |
| voice     | {n}   |

### Autonomy Tier Distribution

| Tier       | Count |
|------------|-------|
| manual     | {n}   |
| supervised | {n}   |
| autonomous | {n}   |

### Cross-Planner References

| Accessibility Item | Linked Item  | Planner   | Relationship   | Notes         |
|--------------------|--------------|-----------|----------------|---------------|
| WI-A11Y-{NNN}      | WI-{X}-{NNN} | {planner} | {relationship} | {description} |

### Outstanding Decisions

* {decision_1}
* {decision_2}

### VPAT / EAA Attestation Items

| Item ID       | Attestation Type | Linked Evidence       | Status   |
|---------------|------------------|-----------------------|----------|
| WI-A11Y-{NNN} | {VPAT|EAA|ACR}   | EV-A11Y-{NNN}         | {status} |
```

## Planning Disclaimer

The L7 disclaimer lever pins the accessibility planning disclaimer to this file. The text below is the canonical accessibility disclaimer; do not edit `shared/disclaimer-language.instructions.md` to add an accessibility variant.

Emit this block verbatim at session start before Phase 1 work begins. Set `state.disclaimerShownAt` to the ISO 8601 timestamp and append a `state.noticeLog` entry with `noticeType: "session-start-disclaimer"` and `source: ".github/instructions/accessibility/accessibility-backlog-handoff.instructions.md"`.

Also include this block verbatim at the end of every handoff summary, every ADO output file, and every GitHub output file. Append a `state.noticeLog` entry with `noticeType: "handoff-disclaimer"`, `source: ".github/instructions/accessibility/accessibility-backlog-handoff.instructions.md"`, and output artifact details for each generated artifact.

```markdown
> [!CAUTION]
> **Disclaimer:** This agent is an assistive tool only. It does not provide legal, regulatory, accessibility conformance, or compliance advice and does not replace accessibility specialists, accessibility review boards, VPAT auditors, ACR signers, or EAA conformance assessors. The output consists of suggested actions and considerations to support a user's own internal accessibility review and decision-making. All accessibility assessments, framework selections, control mappings, evidence registers, tradeoff records, conformance summaries, and backlog items generated by this tool must be independently reviewed and validated by appropriate accessibility and compliance reviewers before use. Outputs from this tool do not constitute accessibility conformance approval, compliance certification, VPAT attestation, EAA conformance, or regulatory sign-off. This AI-assisted plan requires qualified human review before any external publication, customer disclosure, procurement response, or regulatory submission.
```

## Phase Exit Criteria

Phase 6 closes when every criterion below is true. The planner does not set `gates.backlog-handoff.confirmed = true` until the user explicitly confirms the rendered backlog.

* Every review checkpoint reads Met.
* The Accessibility Review Summary template is populated and embedded in the output files.
* Every `workItemSeeds` entry has rendered into at least one work item in the selected target system(s).
* Every work item carries derived priority, autonomy tier, horizon, and tags.
* Cross-references for every `crossPlannerRefs` entry resolve to a linked planner item or carry a TBD note when the linked planner has not run yet.
* VPAT and EAA attestation work items exist when `ssscPlanRef` is set.
* The planning disclaimer block is emitted verbatim in every output file.
* `state.disclaimerShownAt` is set.
* `state.noticeLog` contains a handoff disclaimer entry for each output artifact that emitted the disclaimer block.
* Content sanitization has run and the debug log records any actions taken.
* The user has reviewed the rendered backlog and confirmed.

## Final State Update

On phase close, update `state.json` with the artifacts produced and gate confirmation. Preserve an existing `disclaimerShownAt` value from the session-start display; set it during Phase 6 only if it is still `null` because an older state predates the session-start cadence.

```json
{
  "phase": "backlog-handoff",
  "gates": {
    "backlog-handoff": {
      "confirmed": true,
      "confirmedAt": "{ISO 8601 timestamp}"
    }
  },
  "disclaimerShownAt": "{session-start ISO 8601 timestamp}",
  "noticeLog": [
    {
      "noticeType": "handoff-disclaimer",
      "shownAt": "{ISO 8601 timestamp}",
      "source": ".github/instructions/accessibility/accessibility-backlog-handoff.instructions.md",
      "details": {
        "phase": "backlog-handoff",
        "artifact": ".copilot-tracking/accessibility/{project-slug}/handoff-summary.md"
      }
    }
  ],
  "userPreferences": {
    "targetSystem": "{ado|github|both}",
    "autonomyTier": "{manual|supervised|autonomous}"
  },
  "handoffArtifacts": {
    "adoBacklog": ".copilot-tracking/workitems/backlog/{project-slug}-a11y/work-items.md",
    "githubBacklog": ".copilot-tracking/github-issues/discovery/{project-slug}-a11y/issues-plan.md",
    "summary": ".copilot-tracking/accessibility/{project-slug}/handoff-summary.md"
  }
}
```

`handoffArtifacts` is a planner-local convenience field not enforced by the schema; the schema validates `userPreferences` and `gates` strictly. The planner writes the artifact paths to the summary file regardless of schema validation outcome.

## Anti-Patterns

Avoid these patterns. They produce non-actionable backlogs, break audit trails, or leak internal state to external systems.

* Emitting work items without running the review rubric first. The rubric is a gate, not advisory.
* Renaming severity values to match a target system's vocabulary. Keep `critical`, `major`, `minor`, `enhancement` and let the labels translate them.
* Duplicating a Security, RAI, or SSSC work item instead of cross-referencing it. Cross-link and tag with the appropriate `a11y:cross-ref-*` tag.
* Promoting a seed to `autonomous` tier without `evidence.status = verified`. Verified evidence is the precondition for autonomous push.
* Editing `shared/disclaimer-language.instructions.md` to add an accessibility variant. The L7 lever pins the disclaimer text to this file.
* Skipping the VPAT or EAA item emission when `ssscPlanRef` is set. SSSC depends on these items for supply chain attestation.
* Pushing work items via MCP before sanitization. Sanitization runs first, every time.
* Setting `gates.backlog-handoff.confirmed = true` without explicit user confirmation. The gate is user-driven, not planner-driven.
* Listing seed IDs (`SEED-A11Y-{NNN}`) in the ADO description. Seed IDs surface only in the GitHub YAML metadata block.
* Rendering work items with empty `AreaPath` for ADO. Empty AreaPath blocks ADO push; ask the user before rendering.
