W3C

From Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0
to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0

W3C Working Draft 07 March 2008

Table of Contents

Introduction

Incomplete draft: This document is an editor's copy that has no official standing and is incomplete. Particularly, the section WCAG 2.0 and MWBP Together is only an outline; WCAG 1.0 to MWBP is only partly filled out. It is subject to major changes and is therefore not intended for implementation. It is provided for review and feedback only. Please send feedback to public-bpwg-comments@w3.org (archive).

This page is part of a suite of related documents. Please refer to the “How to Use These Documents” section for more information.

It describes how different Mobile Web Best Practices (MWBPs) help improve the experience for users with disabilities and how compliance with these best practices (BPs) can help comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG). For content that already complies with MWBP 1.0, it outlines what may need to be done to comply with all of WCAG (Extending from MWBP to WCAG 1.0).

By improving usability, all BPs help improve accessibility. This section describes the specific accessibility benefits and the ways in which some relate directly to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.

As described in this section, many Mobile Web BPs have the added benefit of partial or complete compliance with certain WCAG 1.0 checkpoints. However, the accessibility guidelines are often more detailed or describe a different aspect of the same concept. It should not be assumed that following any BP will ensure accessibility. To ensure accessibility it is important to always consult the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Each BP is covered to answer the following questions:

Extending from MWBP 1.0 to WCAG 1.0

This section provides guidance on the “upgrade path” from MWBP 1.0 to accessibility through WCAG 1.0 compliance. What follows is a summary of the detailed information for each BP that follows it. For each of the WCAG 1.0 priorities there are three possible levels of effort required, labelled for simplicity with keywords (nothing, something, everything):

${define_efforts}

To summarise, if your content already complies with MWBP, to achieve compliance with WCAG 1.0, you need to do the following:

For Priority 1

Nothing: content already complies with these checkpoints:

Something: more effort of some kind or a check, to comply with these checkpoints:

Everything: start from scratch to comply with these checkpoints:

For Priority 2

Nothing: content already complies with these checkpoints:

Something: more effort of some kind or a check, to comply with these checkpoints:

Everything: start from scratch to comply with these checkpoints:

For Priority 3

Nothing: content already complies with these checkpoints:

Something: more effort of some kind or a check, to comply with these checkpoints:

Everything: start from scratch to comply with these checkpoints:

Individual Mobile Web Best Practices Compared

This section examines in turn each of the Mobile Web Best Practices where there is a relationship to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Those that are believed to have no relationship are listed separately. Two main aspects are considered for each BP, “How does it especially help users with disabilities?” and “Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?” which are introduced in a general way below.

How does it especially help users with disabilities?

Describes how the BP helps users with disabilities above and beyond the benefit to the general user in the mobile context. Users with disabilities benefit from the Mobile Web Best Practices like any other user. This paragraph focuses on the added benefits for their special needs of users with different disabilities. Best Practices that have no specific benefit for users with disabilities beyond that experienced by the general user in the mobile context is marked [no added benefit]. Explanations of the benefits are given in the corresponding section “Individual Mobile Web Best Practices Compared” of the accompanying document From Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0 to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 under the section on each BP.

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?

Many Web sites wish to ensure that their content is both mobile aware and accessible to users with disabilities by complying with both the MWBPs and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). For a site that complies with the MWBP it is useful to know how much has already been achieved towards accessibility, and how much more could be achieved for little extra effort.

Many BPs correspond directly to WCAG 1.0 checkpoints and in these cases complying with one automatically gives compliance with the other, with no extra effort. For example, [USE_OF_COLOR] ensures compliance with WCAG 1.0 checkpoint 2.1, “Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup” with no added effort.

With other BPs, a little extra effort or simply considering a more diverse range of user needs can achieve compliance with WCAG 1.0 checkpoint. For example, [COLOR_CONTRAST] is intended to help mobile users with monochrome displays or in poor lighting conditions. By considering also the needs of users with colour deficits (colour blindness) the same BP makes content accessible to more users and ensures compliance with WCAG 1.0 checkpoint “2.2 Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen”.

Other BPs prohibit the use of features that can cause accessibility barriers. Complying with these BPs ensures that some WCAG checkpoints simply do not apply. For example, [NO_FRAMES], by excluding the use of frames, means that it is not necessary to comply with WCAG 1.0 checkpoint 12.1, “Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation”.

List of Best Practices Described

Below is a list of the BPs described in detail. There follows a list of BPs believed to have no relationship to WCAG.

List of Best Practices not Related to WCAG 1.0

The following BPs are believed to have no added accessibility benefit and no relation to any WCAG provision, and are listed below for completeness:

[ACCESS_KEYS] Assign access keys to links in navigational menus and frequently accessed functionality

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes. Providing that access keys are also available for form controls (this BP does not explicitly talk about form controls but it is implicit in the “frequently accessed functionality”), this BP ensures compliance with checkpoint 9.5  Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls.

Tip: As it is highlighted in the WCAG 1.0 HTML Keyboard access technique, if the access keys are not apparent from the content or shown by the device, provide a summary of access keys used in content on a separate page. Perhaps warn that access key assignments may be changed by the user agent (to prevent conflicts) in ways the author cannot predict.

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[AUTO_REFRESH] Do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages, unless you have informed the user and provided a means of stopping it

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly. A related checkpoint is 7.4 Until user agents provide the ability to stop the refresh, do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages. If auto-refresh is used compliance is not necessarily achieved. This checkpoint requires that the user agent be used to turn auto-refresh off, while AUTO_REFRESH requires the content to do it. However, if auto-refresh is not used at all, this does ensure compliance with the checkpoint.

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[AVOID_FREE_TEXT] Avoid free text entry where possible.

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: No.

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[BACKGROUND_IMAGE_READABILITY] When using background images make sure that content remains readable on the device

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: No. However it helps achieve compliance with checkpoint 2.2 Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen. Although this BP focuses on background images and the problems that could occur because of the color contrast, the coverage of checkpoint 2.2 is much broader. For further information on how to comply with this checkpoint, see WCAG 1.0 techniques for checkpoint 2.2.

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[BALANCE] Take into account the trade-off between having too many links on a page and asking the user to follow too many links to reach what they are looking for

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: No.

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[CENTRAL_MEANING] Ensure that material that is central to the meaning of the page precedes material that is not.

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: For WCAG 1.0, this BP corresponds to 12.3, “Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.”. However, where the checkpoint is described as applicable to paragraphs, in the mobile context these units of content are often the complete page. It also relates to the spirit of WCAG 1.0 checkpoint 12.3, “Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate”, although, like [PAGE_SIZE_USABLE], in a way not explicitly contemplated in the guidelines. This WCAG checkpoint is much broader in scope than the BP.


Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Partially, Possibly. This BP goes some way to ensuring partial compliance with 13.6 Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group. Although this BP also talks about grouping links and providing a way to skip such grouped links, it does not ensure full compliance with checkpoint 13.6 as the scope of this BP is much broader.

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[CLARITY] Use clear and simple language

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes. This BP ensures compliance with checkpoint 13.8 Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.. It also goes some way to ensuring compliance with 14.1 Use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for a site's content. However, while this BP is concerned with reading difficulty due to context of use (for example, small screen, distracting environment, lack of time), checkpoint 14.1 is concerned with a user's reading ability.

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[COLOR_CONTRAST] Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Partially, with some additional effort it may ensure compliance with checkpoint 2.2 Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen. Although this BP focuses on how a page could best be displayed in a monochrome display, checkpoint 2.2 focuses on user requirements. For further information on how to comply with this checkpoint, see WCAG 1.0 techniques for this checkpoint.

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[CONTROL_LABELLING] Label all form controls appropriately and explicitly associate labels with form controls

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes. This BP ensures compliance with checkpoint 12.4 Associate labels explicitly with their controls.

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[CONTROL_POSITION] Position labels so they lay out properly in relation to the form controls they refer to

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Partially. This BP relates to checkpoint 10.2 Until user agents support explicit associations between labels and form controls, for all form controls with implicitly associated labels, ensure that the label is properly positioned. While the BP is concerned with reflowing and adapting content for mobile devices, this WCAG checkpoint is concerned to enable user agents, particularly screen readers, to determine the association in the absence of an explicit association in markup. Therefore, since the main focus is different, following just this BP is not adequate for accessibility purposes, and following the BP does not ensure full compliance with this checkpoint.

Tip: Use explicitly associated labels (refer to [CONTROL_LABELLING]), but if you can not, then avoid nesting the control inside the label element as it is not supported in an accessible way by most user agents.

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[DEFAULT_INPUT_MODE] Specify a default text entry mode, language and/or input format, if the device is known to support it

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: No.

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[ERROR_MESSAGES] Provide informative error messages and a means of navigating away from an error message back to useful information

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: No.

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[FONTS] Do not rely on support of font related styling

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Partially, but it goes some way to ensuring compliance with checkpoint 6.1 Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets. As the font elements described by this BP are deprecated in recent versions of HTML, it also goes some way to ensuring compliance with checkpoint 11.2 Avoid deprecated features of W3C technologies.

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[GRAPHICS_FOR_SPACING] Do not use graphics for spacing

How does it especially help users with disabilities? When small graphics are used for structuring pages that means the structure of the page is implicit in the presentation and might not be available to users who cannot see the visual presentation such as blind or visually impaired users. For further information on this, see STRUCTURE.

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly, Partially. If images are not used for spacing, then that goes some way to ensuring partial compliance with checkpoint 3.1 When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup rather than images to convey information. However, if images are used for spacing then this BP does not give compliance with any WCAG provision.

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[IMAGE_MAPS] Do not use image maps unless you know the device supports them effectively

Comment: The references section for this BP is misleading: “This relates to WCAG 1.2 and 9.1”. It relates to these checkpoints but not in the way covered by the BP.

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly. If image maps are not used, then the following checkpoints do not apply: 1.1 Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element, 1.5 Until user agents render text equivalents for client-side image map links, provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side image map, 9.5 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), ..., 1.2 Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map and 9.1 Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps…. However, if image maps are used, then this BP does not give compliance with any WCAG provision.

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How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Partially. This BP goes some way to ensuring compliance with checkpoint13.1 Clearly identify the target of each link. However, to ensure accessibility it is important to understand that the user may read the links in a page as part of a list of links without surrounding contextual information. For this reason it is important that the link text not lose its meaning when readout of context. For more information, refer to WCAG 1.0 HTML Techniques: Link text.

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[MEASURES] Do not use pixel measures and do not use absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes. This BP ensures compliance with checkpoint 3.4 Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values.

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[MINIMIZE_KEYSTROKES] Keep the number of keystrokes to a minimum

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly, Partially. The intention of this BP is the use of keyboard shortcuts (referred to as “navigation keys”). Therefore, if keyboard shortcuts are used, then this BP partially goes some way to ensuring compliance with checkpoint 9.5 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls.

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How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly. Conceptually identifying the navigation mechanisms will ultimately help content designers understand and provide the functionality needed. For WCAG 1.0, it will help compliance with checkpoints 13.5 Provide navigation bars to highlight and give access to the navigation mechanism and 13.6 Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group.

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How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes. It ensures compliance with checkpoint 13.4 Use navigation mechanisms in a consistent manner. For further information on how to meet what is needed for all users, see WCAG 1.0 Core Techniques on Navigation.

For WCAG 2.0, it goes some way to ensuring compliance with 3.2.3 “Consistent Navigation”, although WCAG is more detailed and specific (“same relative order”) than the MWBP (“same navigation”).-->

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[NO_FRAMES] Do not use frames

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly. If frames are not used, the following WCAG checkpoints do not apply: 12.1 Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation and 12.2 Describe the purpose of frames and how frames relate to each other if it is not obvious by frame titles alone.

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[NON-TEXT_ALTERNATIVES] Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes, providing a text equivalent for every non-text element ensures compliance with checkpoint 1.1 Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element. However, it is important to remember that non-text content is more than just images. The tests suggested in the BPs may not lead to adequately accessible content. Avoiding CSS image replacement and pictures of words implies using text and markup, thus avoiding the need for text alternatives and the accessibility problems caused by these techniques. This BP also goes some way to ensuring compliance with checkpoints: 1.2 Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map, 3.1 When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup rather than images to convey information and 1.5 Until user agents render text equivalents for client-side image map links, provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side image map.

Tip: Using the alt and longdesc attributes adequately is not always a simple matter and the BPs provide no further guidance. You can refer to WCAG 1.0 core techniques: Text equivalents and WCAG 1.0 HTML techniques: Short text equivalents for images (“alt-text”) and Long descriptions of images for further guidance.

Comment: Longdesc support in mobile devices?? have added a tip, as it the following workaround isn't actually described in the BP (but should be).

-->

Tip: As stated in the BP, if the user agent is not known to support the longdesc attribute of the img element (and additionally, until assistive technology is known to support it adequately), do rely on it. Provide in addition a separate [D] link adjacent to the image. Refer to WCAG 1.0 HTML technique Invisible d-links (note that this technique should not be considered deprecated in the mobile context, which was not anticipated when the techniques were written).

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[OBJECTS_OR_SCRIPT] Do not rely on embedded objects or script

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes, it ensures compliance with checkpoint 6.3 Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmatic objects are turned off or not supported..., but be sure to follow the further guidance given in WCAG 1.0 and accompanying techniques. This goes some way to ensuring partially compliance with the 6.2 Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes checkpoint. However, this checkpoint refers to not only scripts but also dynamically updated other elements. You can refer to techniques for Checkpoint 6.2 for further information about how to achieve compliance with this checkpoint.

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[PAGE_SIZE_USABLE] Divide pages into usable but limited size portions

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Partially. It ensures compliance with one aspect of checkpoint 12.3 Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate. The WCAG checkpoint is much broader in scope detailing different ways of grouping content and different elements, covering different contexts, however this BP is not providing that much detail about the content grouping and different contexts.

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[PAGE_TITLE] Provide a short but descriptive page title

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Partially. It ensures compliance with one aspect of checkpoint 13.2 Provide metadata to add semantic information to pages and sites. This BP focuses on page titles which is by WCAG considered as a kind of metadata, however, the scope of this WCAG checkpoint is much broader. For further information about how to achieve compliance with this checkpoint, see the techniques provided by WCAG 1.0 for adding semantic information to pages.

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[POP_UPS] Do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes. It ensures compliance with checkpoint 10.1 Until user agents allow users to turn off spawned windows, do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user.

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[PROVIDE_DEFAULTS] Provide pre-selected default values where possible

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes. If default values are used for all text controls this ensures compliance with checkpoint 10.4 Until user agents handle empty controls correctly, include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas.

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[REDIRECTION] Do not use markup to redirect pages automatically. Instead, configure the server to perform redirects by means of HTTP 3xx codes

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes. It ensures compliance with checkpoint 7.5 Until user agents provide the ability to stop auto-redirect, do not use markup to redirect pages automatically. Instead, configure the server to perform redirects.

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[SCROLLING] Limit scrolling to one direction, unless secondary scrolling cannot be avoided.

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: No.

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[STRUCTURE] Use features of the markup language to indicate logical document structure

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes, it ensures compliance with checkpoint 3.5 Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to specification.

Tip: Although the BP has a generic title covering all structural elements, it only mentions section headings. Using other commonly-accepted structural elements not mentioned in the BP can improve usability for mobile users as well as accessibility. These elements include lists, quotations and citations, table markup, and semantic aspects like emphasis. For further information, see WCAG 1.0 Guideline 3.

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[STYLE_SHEETS_SUPPORT] Organize documents so that if necessary they may be read without style sheets

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes, it ensures compliance with checkpoint 6.1 Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets.

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[STYLE_SHEETS_USE] Use style sheets to control layout and presentation, unless the device is known not to support them

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes, it ensures compliance with checkpoint 3.3 Use style sheets to control layout and presentation.

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[TAB_ORDER] Create a logical order through links, form controls and objects

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes, it ensures compliance with checkpoint 9.4 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects.

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[TABLES_ALTERNATIVES] Where possible, use an alternative to tabular presentation

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly. If tables are not used then the checkpoints under Guideline 5 Create tables that transform gracefully and checkpoint 10.3 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render side-by-side text correctly, provide a linear text alternative (on the current page or some other) for all tables that lay out text in parallel, word-wrapped columns do not apply. However, if tables are used, this BP does not give compliance with any WCAG provision. Even if alternatives are used instead of tables, see techniques for linearising tabular material to make sure that alternative versions are accessible.

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[TABLES_LAYOUT] Do not use tables for layout

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly. If tables are not used for layout then the following WCAG checkpoints do not apply: 5.3 Do not use tables for layout unless the table makes sense when linearized and 5.4 If a table is used for layout, do not use any structural markup for the purpose of visual formatting. However, if tables are used for layout, this BP does not give compliance with any WCAG provision.

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[TABLES_NESTED] Do not use nested tables

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly, Partially. If nested tables are not used then checkpoint 5.2 For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells does not apply. However, if nested tables are used, this BP does not give compliance with any WCAG provision.

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[TABLES_SUPPORT] Do not use tables unless the device is known to support them

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Possibly. If tables are not used in any adaptation of the content served, then the checkpoints under Guideline 5 Create tables that transform gracefully do not apply. However, if tables are used, this BP does not give compliance with any WCAG provision.

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[TESTING] Carry out testing on actual devices as well as emulators

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: No.

Tip: You can improve accessibility when performing testing by involving users with a range of abilities (not only evaluation and development staff). Refer to the WAI resource Involving Users in Web Accessibility Evaluation for more information.

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[THEMATIC_CONSISTENCY] Ensure that content provided by accessing a URI yields a thematically coherent experience when accessed from different devices

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: No.

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[URIS] Keep the URIs of site entry points short

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: No.

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[USE_OF_COLOR] Ensure that information conveyed with color is also available without color.

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes, this BP ensures compliance with checkpoint 2.1 Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup with no added effort.

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[VALID_MARKUP] Create documents that validate to published formal grammars

How does it help especially users with disabilities?

Does it give me WCAG 1.0 compliance?: Yes, it ensures compliance with checkpoint 3.2 Create documents that validate to published formal grammars with no further effort. If the markup is the most recent version of a W3C recommendation it goes some way to ensuring compliance with the following two checkpoints: 11.1 Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task and use the latest versions when supported and 11.2 Avoid deprecated features of W3C technologies.

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