WCAG 2.5.5 — Target Size (Enhanced)

What this requires

Pointer input targets must be at least 44×44 CSS pixels, except where:

The target is available through an equivalent link or control on the same page that meets the requirement.
The target is in a sentence or block of text (inline links).
The target's size is determined by the user agent.
A particular presentation is essential.

The 44px standard matches iOS Human Interface Guidelines and roughly matches Android's 48dp minimum.

How AI coding tools fail this

When asked to "make the controls more compact" or "fit more in the toolbar", AI tools shrink buttons to 32px or smaller. The visual density improves; users with motor impairments now miss the target more often than they hit it.

The second pattern: icon-only buttons sized to the icon itself. A 16px close icon becomes a 16px button. The hit target is the icon; there's no padding around it.

The third: pagination controls or "previous/next" arrows that are small even on desktop and tiny on touch. The component renders the same size everywhere.

Failing examples

A 24px square close button:

<button className="h-6 w-6">
  <XIcon className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden="true" />
  <span className="sr-only">Close</span>
</button>

Pagination arrows at 28px:

<button className="h-7 w-7 rounded-md border">
  <ChevronLeft aria-hidden="true" />
</button>

Passing examples

A 44px square hit target around the icon:

<button className="flex h-11 w-11 items-center justify-center rounded-md">
  <XIcon className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden="true" />
  <span className="sr-only">Close</span>
</button>

Pagination buttons at 44px:

<button className="flex h-11 min-w-11 items-center justify-center rounded-md border px-3">
  <ChevronLeft aria-hidden="true" />
</button>

Edge cases

Inline links in prose are exempt. Line height already constrains them.
Native form controls are exempt — the user agent decides their size.
Equivalent alternative lets a small target pass if a 44px alternative exists on the same page. Useful for icon toolbars paired with a menu.
Hit area can extend beyond visible bounds. Padding around a smaller visual creates a larger hit area without changing the design footprint.
44 CSS pixels scales with user zoom — a user at 200% zoom effectively sees 88 device pixels.

How Jeikin handles this

The scanner measures rendered button and link dimensions and flags targets under 44×44. The dashboard records each finding and tracks the "equivalent alternative" exception when applicable. For 2.5.8 (AA, 24px) the same scanner applies the lower threshold.