diff --git a/src/styles/rtl.css b/src/styles/rtl.css
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+/* ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+ * RTL (Right-to-Left) consolidated styles
+ *
+ * This file centralizes RTL overrides that cannot be expressed through CSS
+ * logical properties alone — primarily gradient directions, transform origins,
+ * and physical-positioned elements that need explicit mirroring.
+ *
+ * ## What CSS logical properties handle automatically
+ *
+ * The following properties mirror under `dir="rtl"` without any extra CSS:
+ *   - margin-inline-start / margin-inline-end
+ *   - padding-inline-start / padding-inline-end
+ *   - inset-inline-start / inset-inline-end
+ *   - border-inline-start / border-inline-end
+ *   - text-align: start / end
+ *   - float: inline-start / inline-end
+ *
+ * ## What this file covers
+ *
+ *   1. Gradient angles (are physical, not logical)
+ *   2. Transform origins (default to physical center)
+ *   3. Box-shadow offsets (horizontal offset is physical)
+ *   4. Physical-positioned pseudo-elements
+ *   5. Explicit direction overrides for numeric content
+ * ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+/* ── Gradient helper classes ─────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+[dir="rtl"] .rtl-mirror-gradient-to-right {
+  background-image: linear-gradient(
+    to left,
+    var(--rtl-grad-start, #10b981),
+    var(--rtl-grad-end, #3b82f6)
+  );
+}
+
+[dir="rtl"] .rtl-mirror-gradient-to-left {
+  background-image: linear-gradient(
+    to right,
+    var(--rtl-grad-start, #10b981),
+    var(--rtl-grad-end, #3b82f6)
+  );
+}
+
+/* ── Transform origin mirroring ──────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+[dir="rtl"] .rtl-transform-origin-start {
+  transform-origin: right center;
+}
+
+[dir="rtl"] .rtl-transform-origin-end {
+  transform-origin: left center;
+}
+
+/* ── Numeric content: always LTR ───────────────────────────────────────
+   Unicode bidi isolation prevents numeric sequences from being reordered
+   in RTL contexts. Per TR-9 and TR-53, numbers retain their natural order. ── */
+
+.rtl-num {
+  direction: ltr;
+  unicode-bidi: isolate;
+  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+}
+
+/* ── AppShell RTL adjustments ────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+[dir="rtl"] .app-shell__sidebar {
+  /* Sidebar slides from the right in RTL */
+  transform-origin: right center;
+}
+
+[dir="rtl"] .app-shell__main {
+  /* Main content area padding flips */
+  padding-inline-start: var(--sidebar-width, 260px);
+  padding-inline-end: 0;
+}
+
+/* ── Stepper / progress indicator RTL (shared across wizards) ────────── */
+
+[dir="rtl"] .progress-indicator__fill {
+  transform-origin: right center;
+}
+
+[dir="rtl"] .progress-indicator__connector--active {
+  background: linear-gradient(
+    to left,
+    var(--ws-completed, #10b981),
+    var(--ws-active, #3b82f6)
+  );
+}
+
+/* ── Reduced motion (global) ─────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  [dir="rtl"] .rtl-animate,
+  [dir="rtl"] .wizard-stepper__fill,
+  [dir="rtl"] .progress-indicator__fill {
+    transition: none;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/rtl.ts b/src/utils/rtl.ts
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+/**
+ * RTL (Right-to-Left) utility helpers.
+ *
+ * These utilities provide a consistent API for detecting and responding to
+ * RTL language contexts across the application. They are used by the
+ * WizardStepper, AppShell, and other direction-sensitive components.
+ *
+ * ## Design principles
+ *
+ * 1. **CSS logical properties are the primary mechanism** — most RTL mirroring
+ *    happens automatically through `margin-inline-start`, `inset-inline-end`,
+ *    etc. These utilities handle the cases CSS can't.
+ *
+ * 2. **Numeric labels stay LTR** — per Unicode TR-9 and TR-53, numeric
+ *    sequences (step numbers, percentages, counts) must retain their LTR
+ *    order even in RTL contexts. Use `dir="ltr"` + `unicode-bidi: isolate`
+ *    on every numeric element.
+ *
+ * 3. **Document order is NEVER reversed** — RTL mirroring is purely visual.
+ *    The DOM order of wizard steps, tab lists, and other sequential elements
+ *    matches the logical reading order for all languages. CSS (`flex-direction`,
+ *    `direction`) handles the visual reversal.
+ *
+ * 4. **Gradients need explicit RTL overrides** — CSS gradients use `to right`
+ *    or `to left` which are physical, not logical. Always provide a matching
+ *    `[dir="rtl"]` rule that mirrors the gradient angle.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Returns `true` if the document's `<html>` element has `dir="rtl"`.
+ * Defaults to `false` for SSR environments where `document` is unavailable.
+ */
+export function isRtl(): boolean {
+  if (typeof document === "undefined") return false;
+  return document.documentElement.getAttribute("dir") === "rtl";
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the CSS `direction` value for consumption in inline styles
+ * or CSS-in-JS: `"rtl"` or `"ltr"`.
+ */
+export function direction(): "rtl" | "ltr" {
+  return isRtl() ? "rtl" : "ltr";
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the inline-start value for a directional CSS property.
+ * In LTR this is `"left"`; in RTL this is `"right"`.
+ *
+ * Prefer CSS logical properties (`inset-inline-start`, `margin-inline-start`)
+ * over this function in production code. Use this only when computing
+ * imperative styles (e.g., positioning tooltips via `getBoundingClientRect`).
+ */
+export function inlineStart(): "left" | "right" {
+  return isRtl() ? "right" : "left";
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the inline-end value for a directional CSS property.
+ * In LTR this is `"right"`; in RTL this is `"left"`.
+ *
+ * @see {@link inlineStart} for usage guidance.
+ */
+export function inlineEnd(): "left" | "right" {
+  return isRtl() ? "left" : "right";
+}
+
+/**
+ * Mirrors a gradient angle for RTL contexts.
+ *
+ * Given a CSS gradient direction like `"to right"`, returns the mirrored
+ * equivalent `"to left"`. This is useful for progress bars, connector
+ * lines, and other gradient-based visual flows that must mirror under RTL.
+ *
+ * @param gradientDir - A CSS gradient direction keyword (e.g., `"to right"`)
+ * @returns The mirrored direction for RTL, or the original for LTR
+ */
+export function mirrorGradient(gradientDir: string): string {
+  const mirrors: Record<string, string> = {
+    "to right": "to left",
+    "to left": "to right",
+    "to top right": "to top left",
+    "to top left": "to top right",
+    "to bottom right": "to bottom left",
+    "to bottom left": "to bottom right",
+  };
+  if (!isRtl()) return gradientDir;
+  return mirrors[gradientDir] ?? gradientDir;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Formats a step count for screen-reader announcement.
+ *
+ * The format is always LTR-numeric: "Step 2 of 5".
+ * This function isolates the numeric parts so they are never reordered
+ * by bidirectional text algorithms, even in RTL contexts.
+ *
+ * @param current - 1-based current step number
+ * @param total - Total number of steps
+ */
+export function formatStepCount(current: number, total: number): string {
+  // Use Unicode bidi isolation markers (LRI / PDI)
+  return `Step \u2066${current}\u2069 of \u2066${total}\u2069`;
+}