Evaluation techniques for testing conformance
Is your tool:
- specifically designed to edit and produce Web content?
- equipped with the option of saving material in a Web format?
- able to transform non-Web documents into Web formats (e.g., filters to
transform desktop publishing formats to HTML)?
- capable of producing multimedia, especially where it is intended for
use on the Web?
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", then the authoring tool accessibility
guidelines apply to your software. This document will help you determine
whether your tool complies with the guidelines or not.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all the checkpoints in the guidelines apply to all
kinds of tools. Therefore, this conformance evaluation process has been split
into sections:
- If your the tool allow you to insert image elements into a markup document
(ex. Web authoring tool, word processor), then the tool is a "Markup Editor".
You need to complete Section A.
- If your tool allows you to create or edit images (ex. paint or drawing
program), then the tool is a "Multimedia Editor".
General requirements:
[Priority 2]
Does the tool support the latest version of all the markup languages it
can be used to produce? (2.1)
Documentation
Accessible Interface:
[Priority 1]
Does the tool allow you to edit all properties in an accessible fashion?
(7.3)
Markup Editor
PART 1: Images (including Image Maps)
IMPORTANT DEFINITION:
Equivalent Alternatives (EA)
An equivalent alternative (EA) is content that fulfills
essentially the same function or purpose upon presentation to the
user as the potentially inaccessible primary content. EAs play an
important role in accessible authoring practices since certain types
of content may not be accessible to all users (e.g., video, images,
audio, etc.). For more information, see the Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines WCAG 1.0.
The Images Part of this document will refer to two priorities (1
and 3; there are 2's) of EAs according to the priority assigned to it
by the WCAG 1.0 recommendation. If a priority is not specified then
both priority levels are assumed. The following is a list of EAs
followed by their priority and the relevant WCAG checkpoint that
assigned the priority.
for Images:
- img:alt, img:longdesc, input:alt (HTML) - [Priority 1] (wcag 1.1)
- g:title, g:desc (SVG) - [Priority 1] (wcag 1.1)
- img:alt, img:longdesc, img:text (SMIL) - [Priority 1] (wcag 1.1)
for Image Maps:
- area:alt (HTML) - [Priority
1] (wcag 1.1)
- server-side image map regions:redundant text links (HTML) -
[Priority 1] (wcag
1.2)
- client-side image map regions:redundant text links (HTML) -
[Priority 3] (wcag
1.5)
for Objects displaying Images:
- object: text equivalent in the element content (HTML) - [Priority 1] (wcag 1.2)
NOTE: It is assumed that the term EA will refer to those EAs
appropriate to the type of markup or image produced. (ex. an HTML
editor only needs to be checked for the EAs relevant to HTML)
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Inserting an Image:
INSTRUCTIONS: Use the tool to insert an image into a document and then answer
questions X to Y. If the tool is capable of inserting an image by drag and
drop, test this method as well. Answer questions Q1 to Q4.
[Priority 1]
Did the tool allow you to add the Equivalent Alternatives (EAs) for the
image (including typing one by hand after insertion)? (1.1)
Did the tool automatically generate EAs based on the file name, size or
other information that is not necessarily related to the function of the
image.?(note: different scoring - the tool must not do this)
(3.4)
[Priority 2]
Did the tool support the PNG format for inserting raster images and the
SVG format for inserting vector graphics? (2.1)
[Priority 3]
Does the tool let you search for, reuse or otherwise manage the EAs of
images? (3.5)
Saving:
INSTRUCTIONS: Use the tool to save the document. Answer questions Q5 and
Q6.
[Priority 1] Did the tool
prompt (require, suggest or notify you of the absence of information and
then provide a means for rectifying the situation) you to add Priority 1
EAs for all the images at some point during the creation of the document (ex.
at insertion of each image, after the successful save, etc.)? (3.1)
[Priority 3]
Did the tool prompt (require, suggest or notify you of the absence of
information and then provide a means for rectifying the situation) for
the addition of Priority 3 EAs for all the images at some point during the
creation of the document (ex. at insertion of each image, after the
successful save, etc.)? (3.1)
Re-saving and Reformatting:
INSTRUCTIONS: Create a new file with the following
markup (appropriate to the tool). The EAs are shown in bold. Open the file
using the authoring tool. Save the file and reopen it in a text editor.
HTML:
<html> <head> <title> </title> </head>
<body>
<img src="map.gif" alt="Map of the world"
longdesc="mapdesc.html">
<form method="POST"
action="http://somesite.com/prog/someprog">
<p><input type="image" src="map.gif" name="mapbutton"
alt="Buy map"></form>
<img src="map.gif" alt="Image map of the world"
usemap="#map1">
<p>[<a href="na.html">North America</a>]
[<a href="sa.html">South America</a>]</p>
<map name="map1">
<area shape="rect" coords="0,0,30,30" href="na.html" alt="North
America">
<area shape="rect" coords="34,34,100,100" href="sa.html"
alt="South America"></map>
<a href="http://myserver.com/cgi-bin/imagemap/my-map">
<img src="map.gif" alt="World map (Text links follow)"
ismap></a>
<p>[<a href="na.html">North America</a>]
[<a href="sa.html">South
America</a>]</p>
<object data="magnify.gif"
type="image/gif">Search</object>
</body> </html>
[Priority 1]
Does the tool preserve the values of the EAs during re-saving? (1.2)
INSTRUCTIONS: Create a new file with the markup above (appropriate to the
tool). Then "Round-trip" the file by saving it as another format and then
saving it back to the original (note: for this to work, the other format
chosen must include equivalent EAs, ex. HTML to XHTML and back).
[Priority 1]
Does the tool preserve the values of the EAs during reformatting? (1.2)
INSTRUCTIONS: Create a new file with the following
markup (appropriate to the tool). Open the file using the authoring tool.
Save the file and reopen it in a text editor.
HTML:
<html> <head> <title> </title> </head>
<body>
<img src="test.gif" alt="test alt" longdesc="test.html" testattr="test for
preserving unknown attributes">
</body> </html>
[Priority 2]
Does the tool preserve the unrecognized markup? ( 4.3)
[Priority 3]
Does the tool notify you that the output of the tool does not conform to
W3C specifications (due to the new attribute)? (2.3)
Automatic Markup Generation:
INSTRUCTIONS: If the tool has the ability to add entire
elements (ex. IMG), a groups of elements (toolbar generator) or even build
a page for you (ex. a wizard), then use it to generate a page that contains
at least one image. Save the file and reopen it in a text editor.
[Priority 1]
Does the tool automatically generate valid image markup (ex. is the
required ALT attribute present for all HTML4 IMG elements)? (2.2)
Are meaningful Priority 1 EAs included for the generated images? (1.3)
[Priority 3]
Are meaningful Priority EAs included for the generated images? (1.3)
Bundled Web Content:
INSTRUCTIONS: If the tool includes templates, open one that has at least one
image. Answer questions Q14 and Q15.
[Priority 1]
Are Priority 1 EAs included for the images in the template? (1.4)
[Priority 3]
Are Priority 3 EAs included for the images in the template? (1.4)
INSTRUCTIONS: If the tool includes bundled images (ex.
clip-art) , insert some into the document. Answer questions Q16 and Q17.
[Priority 1]
Do the images include pre-written Priority 1 EAs? (3.3)
[Priority 3]
Do the images include pre-written Priority 3 EAs? (3.3)
Checking for Accessibility:
INSTRUCTIONS: Create a new file with the following markup (appropriate to the
tool) that has had its EAs removed. Open the file using the authoring tool.
HTML:
<html> <head> <title> </title> </head>
<body>
<img src="map.gif">
<form method="POST"
action="http://somesite.com/prog/someprog">
<p><input type="image" src="map.gif"
name="mapbutton"></form>
<img src="map.gif" alt="Image map of the world"
usemap="#map1">
<map name="map1">
<area shape="rect" coords="0,0,30,30" href="na.html">
<area shape="rect" coords="34,34,100,100"
href="sa.html"></map>
<a href="http://myserver.com/cgi-bin/imagemap/my-map">
<img src="map.gif" ismap></a>
<object data="magnify.gif"
type="image/gif"></object>
</body> </html>
[Priority 1]
Does the tool check for and notify you when Priority 1 EAs for images are
absent? (4.1)
Does the tool assist you to add Priority 1 EAs for images when they are
found to be absent? (4.2)
[Priority 3]
Does the tool check for and notify you when Priority 3 EAs for images are
absent? (4.1)
Does the tool assist you to add Priority 3 EAs for images when they are
found to be absent? (4.2)
Documentation:
[Priority 1]
Is there documentation for all the features of the tool concerned with
adding EAs for images? (6.1)
[Priority 2]
Does the documentation regarding the EAs for images appear well integrated
with the rest of the documentation (ex. do all images in the examples include
EAs)? (6.2)
[Priority 3]
Is there a dedicated section that documents all the features of the tool concerned
with adding EAs for images? (6.3)
User Interface Presence:
INSTRUCTIONS: Insert another image into a document. Then select the image and
edit its EAs.
[Priority 2]
Does functionality for adding and editing the EAs for images appear well
integrated with the overall look and feel of the tool (ex. included within
standard image insertion and properties dialogs)? (5.1)
Priority 3: Only required for level Triple-A conformance
Are meaningful Priority 3 EAs included when multimedia content is part of
markup generated by the tool (ex. wizard)? (1.3)
Are Priority 3 EAs included for multimedia content that appear as part of
templates included with the distribution of the tool (ex. a video album
template)? (1.4)
Does the tool prompt (require, suggest or notify the user of the
absence of information and then provide a means for rectifying the
situation) for the addition of Priority 3 EAs when an multimedia content
is inserted? (3.1)
Does any multimedia content (ex. media clip-art, etc.) that are included
with the distribution of the tool include pre-written Priority 3 EAs? (3.3)
If the multimedia content-related output of the tool does not conform to
W3C specifications , does the tool notify the author? (2.3)
Does the tool include the ability to search and reuse or otherwise manage
the EAs of multimedia content? (3.5)
Does the tool check for and notify the author when Priority 3 EAs for
multimedia content is absent? (4.1)
Does the tool assist the author in adding Priority 3 EAs for multimedia
content when they are found to be absent? (4.2)
Forms
Insert a form and each of the following 7 types of control:
- A text input
- A textarea input
- A set of radio buttons
- A set of checkboxes
- A drop down menu (html
select element)
- A graphic button
- A submit button
Priority 1 tests
Is the control validly coded? in a valid way? (2.2)
Do template examples of forms work without scripts or applets? (1.4 and
3.3 WCAG 6.3)
For each control:
- Can you specify an explicit label? (1.1)
- Does the control work without scripts or applets (client-side) for
processing? (1.3, WCAG 6.3)
- Is there a check for this? (4.1)
- Is there help on how to fix it? (4.2)
- Is it documented how to add a label to a control?
- How to group controls? (6.1)
- Can you edit all the properties of the control? (7.3)
- Is the control validly coded? in a valid way? (2.2)
Priority 2 tests
If there are scripts, does the tool preserve them where it doesn't recognize
them? (4.3)
Perform each of the following three tests once for each control, and then
answer the next set of 4 questions about the features tested by each task.
- Does the form control work according to W3C specifications (2.1)
- Are you prompted to add labels to form controls? (3.2, WCAG 12.4)
- If there are scripts to handle the forms, do they have
device-independent triggers? (1.3 WCAG 6.4, 9.2, 9.3)
The following 4 tests should be made for each of the 3 features tested
above
- Are the features checked for? (4.1, WCAG as above)
- Is there help to fix them? (4.2, WCAG as above)
- Are they included in documentation (and examples)? (6.2)
- Are they present in prepackaged examples / templates? (1.4, 3.3 WCAG as
above)
Priority 3 test
If the code does not conform to W3C specifications, does the tool inform
you? (2.3)
Multimedia Tool
Note:
Equivalent Alternatives (EA) for Image Editors
The meaning of the term equivalent alternative (EA) is slightly different
for image editors than for markup editors. For markup editors, image
EAs refer to those markup structures that convey alternative content
about images in a document. These structures are specific to the markup
language produced. For image editors, some of the EAs, those placed
in the text tracks of images, are stored in set structures, however
other EAs may be stored separately as plain text, RTF, or other format
that may be retrieved and used by markup editors when the image is inserted
into a document.
Therefore, in this section the term Equivalent Alternative (EA)
will refer more generally to short descriptive labels and long
descriptive text. Both have priority 1, since that is their maximum
priority once imported into HTML.
Short Descriptive Labels[Priority 1]:
- May be stored in image formats with text tracks (i.e. PNG, SVG,
WebCGM, JPEG, GIF)
- Suitable for: img:alt (HTML, SMIL), img:longdesc (HTML),
input:alt (HTML), g:title (SVG)
Long Descriptive Text [Priority 1]:
- May be stored ???
- Suitable for: img:longdesc (HTML, SMIL), g:desc (SVG)
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Priority 1: Required for all levels of conformance (i.e. A, Double-A,
Triple-A)
Is it possible to add the Equivalent Alternatives (EAs) for multimedia
using the tool (includes typing them manually)? (1.1)
Does the tool preserve the values of the EAs during re-saving,
reformatting, etc.? (1.2)
Are meaningful Priority 1 EAs included when multimedia content is part of
markup generated by the tool (ex. wizard)? (1.3)
Are Priority 1 EAs included for multimedia content that appears as part of
templates included with the distribution of the tool (ex. a photo album
template)? (1.4)
Does the tool automatically generate valid markup with regard to
multimedia content (ex. is the required ALT attribute present for all
HTML4 IMG elements)? (2.2)
Does the tool prompt (require, suggest or notify the user of the
absence of information and then provide a means for rectifying the
situation) for the addition of Priority 1 EAs when an multimedia content
is inserted? (3.1)
Does any multimedia content (ex. clip-art, etc.) that is included with the
distribution of the tool include pre-written Priority 1 EAs? (3.3)
Does the tool automatically generate EAs based on the file name, size or
other information that is not necessarily related to the content or function
of the multimedia content.? (3.4)
Does the tool reuse previously authored EAs without author confirmation when
the function is not known with certainty (ex. the tool automatically uses
the same ALT value for two copies of the same multimedia content that is linked
to different locations)? (3.4)
Does the tool check for and notify the author when Priority 1 EAs for
multimedia content is absent? (4.1)
Does the tool assist the author in adding Priority 1 EAs for multimedia
content when they are found to be absent? (4.2)
Does the tool allow the author to edit all properties (attributes, styles,
etc.) of multimedia content-related elements in an accessible fashion (i.e.
using the keyboard)? (7.3)
Priority 2: Required for level Double-A and Triple-A conformance
Are meaningful Priority 2 EAs included when multimedia content is part of
markup generated by the tool (ex. wizard)? (1.3)
Are Priority 2 EAs included for multimedia content that appear as part of
templates included with the distribution of the tool (ex. a photo album
template)? (1.4)
Does the tool prompt (require, suggest or notify the user of the
absence of information and then provide a means for rectifying the
situation) for the addition of Priority 2 EAs when multimedia content is
inserted? (3.1)
Does any multimedia content (ex. clip-art, etc.) that are included with
the distribution of the tool include pre-written Priority 2 EAs? (3.3)
Does the tool support the latest version of all the markup languages it
can be used to produce? (2.1)
Does the tool check for and notify the author when Priority 2 EAs for
multimedia content is absent? (4.1)
Does the tool assist the author in adding Priority 2 EAs for multimedia
content when they are found to be absent? (4.2)
Does the tool allow unrecognized markup to be preserved through the
editing and re-saving process (ex. will the LONGDESC attribute of IMG be
preserved if the tool does not support LONGDESC)? ( 4.3)
Does functionality for adding and editing the EAs for multimedia content
appear well integrated with the overall look and feel of the tool (ex.
included within standard multimedia content insertion and properties
dialogs)? (5.1)
Does the documentation regarding the EAs for multimedia content appear
well integrated with the rest of the documentation (used in examples
throughout, not confined to a separate section)? (6.2)
Creating a New Image:
INSTRUCTIONS: Use the tool to create a new image file. Answer questions Q27
to Q31.
[Priority 1]
Is it possible to use the tool to author short or long descriptive EAs for
the image (stored either separately or in text tracks)? (1.1)
Did the tool automatically generate EAs based on the file name, size or
other information that is not necessarily related to the content or function
of the image?(note: different scoring for this - the tool must
not do this) (3.4)
[Priority 2]
If the tool is intended to produce raster images, does the tool support
the Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format? (2.1)
If the tool is intended to produce vector graphics, does the tool support
the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format? (2.1)
[Priority 3]
Does the tool let you search for, reuse or otherwise manage the EAs of
images? (3.5)
Saving:
INSTRUCTIONS: Use the tool to make a change to the image. Then save the
image. Answer question Q32.
[Priority 1]
Does the tool prompt (require, suggest or notify you of the absence of
information and then provide a means for rectifying the situation) you
to add Priority 1 EAs at some point during the creation of the image (ex.
after the successful save)? (3.1)
Re-saving and Reformatting:
INSTRUCTIONS: Open the test image "re-saving_test". Save a copy of the image
file to "re-saving_test2". Open this file using the image EA viewer tool
provided. Answer question Q33.
[Priority 1]
Are EAs (in text tracks or separate files) preserved during re-saving?
(1.2)
INSTRUCTIONS: Open the test image "re-saving_test". Save a copy of the image
file to another format. Open this file using the image EA viewer tool
provided. Answer question Q34.
[Priority 1]
Are EAs (in text tracks or separate files) preserved during conversion to
another format, where possible (i.e. EAs in text tracks placed in text track
of new format or separate associated file if the new format does not include
text tracks)? (1.2)
INSTRUCTIONS: Open a new image or save an image in
order to check which image formats are available.
[Priority 3]
If the tool produces a raster image in a format besides PNG, does the tool
inform you? (2.3)
If the tool produces a vector graphic image in a format besides SVG, does
the tool inform you? (2.3)
Bundled Web Content:
INSTRUCTIONS: If the tool includes bundled images (ex.
clip-art), then insert some into the document. Answer questions Q37.
[Priority 1]
Do the images include pre-written Priority 1 EAs? (3.3)
Checking for Accessibility:
INSTRUCTIONS: Open and save "image_noEA". Answer questions Q38 and Q39.
[Priority 1]
Does the tool check for and notify you when Priority 1 EAs for an image
are absent? (4.1)
Does the tool assist you to add Priority 1 EAs when they are found to be
absent? (4.2)
Documentation:
[Priority 1]
Is there documentation for all the features of the tool concerned with adding
EAs for images? (6.1)
[Priority 2]
Does the documentation regarding EAs appear well integrated with the rest
of the documentation (ex. do all the image editing process examples include
EAs)? (6.2)
[Priority 3]
Is there a dedicated section that documents all the features of the tool concerned
with adding EAs? (6.3)
User Interface Presence:
INSTRUCTIONS: If it is possible to edit the EAs of an image, do so now.
Answer question Q43
[Priority 2]
Does functionality for adding and editing the EAs appear well integrated
with the overall look and feel of the tool (ex. included within standard
properties dialogs)? (5.1)
Accessible Interface:
INSTRUCTIONS: This time, try and edit all the properties (not just the EAs)
of the image using only the keyboard. Answer question Q44.
[Priority 1]
Does the tool allow you to edit all properties in an accessible fashion?
(7.3)
Section C (Tool is an
Multimedia Editor)
Priority 1: Required for all levels of conformance (i.e. A, Double-A,
Triple-A)
If the tool supports multimedia content formats with text tracks (i.e.
SVG, QuickTime, Flash), is it possible to use the tool to add Equivalent
Alternatives (EAs) to the text tracks? (1.1)
Is it possible to use the tool to author Equivalent Alternatives (EAs) for
the multimedia content that can be stored in separate files (ex. short (ALT)
and long (LONGDESC) descriptive text files)? (1.1)
If the tool supports multimedia content formats with text tracks, are the
text track values preserved during re-saving, conversion to another format
that includes text tracks, etc.? (1.2)
If the tool supports separate descriptive files for multimedia content,
are those files preserved during re-saving or conversion to another format,
etc.? (1.2)
Does the tool prompt (require, suggest or notify the user of the
absence of information and then provide a means for rectifying the
situation) for the addition of separate or text track Priority 1 EAs at
some point during the creation of multimedia content (ex. after a successful
save)? (3.1)
Does the multimedia content (ex. video clip-art, etc.) included in the
tool's distribution packages include pre-written Priority 1 EAs stored in
their text tracks or as separate descriptive files? (3.3)
Does the tool automatically generate EAs based on the file name, size or
other information that is not necessarily related to the content or function
of the multimedia content? (3.4)
If the tool supports multimedia content formats with text tracks, does the
tool check for and notify the author when Priority 1 EAs are absent from this
track? (4.1)
Does the tool check for and notify the author when separate descriptive
files storing the Priority 1 EAs for multimedia content are absent? (4.1)
If the tool supports multimedia content formats with text tracks, does the
tool assist the author in adding Priority 1 EAs when they are found to be
absent? (4.2)
Does the tool assist the author in adding Priority 1 EAs to separate
descriptive files when they are found to be absent? (4.2)
Does the tool allow the author to edit all properties (color, size, transparency,
etc.) of the multimedia content in an accessible fashion (i.e. using the
keyboard)? (7.3)
Priority 2: Required for level Double-A and Triple-A conformance
If the tool is intended to produce vector graphics, does the tool support
the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format? (2.1)
Does the tool prompt (require, suggest or notify the user of the
absence of information and then provide a means for rectifying the
situation) for the addition of separate or text track Priority 2 EAs at
some point during the creation of multimedia content (ex. after a successful
save)? (3.1)
Does the multimedia content (ex. media clip-art, etc.) included in the
tool's distribution packages include pre-written Priority 2 EAs stored in
their text tracks or as separate descriptive files? (3.3)
If the tool supports multimedia content formats with text tracks, does the
tool check for and notify the author when Priority 2 EAs are absent from this
track? (4.1)
Does the tool check for and notify the author when separate descriptive
files storing the Priority 2 EAs for the multimedia content are absent?
(4.1)
If the tool supports multimedia content formats with text tracks, does the
tool assist the author in adding Priority 2 EAs when they are found to be
absent? (4.2)
Does the tool assist the author in adding Priority 2 EAs to separate
descriptive files when they are found to be absent? (4.2)
Does functionality for adding and editing the EAs stored in separate
descriptive files or text tracks appear well integrated with the overall look
and feel of the tool? (5.1)
Does the documentation regarding the adding and editing the EAs stored in
separate descriptive files or text track appear well integrated with the rest
of the documentation (used in examples throughout, not confined to a separate
section)? (6.2)
Priority 3: Only required for level Triple-A conformance
If the tool produces a vector graphic image in a format besides SVG, does
the tool inform the author? (2.3)
Does the tool prompt (require, suggest or notify the user of the
absence of information and then provide a means for rectifying the
situation) for the addition of separate or text track Priority 3 EAs at
some point during the creation of multimedia content (ex. after a successful
save)? (3.1)
Does the multimedia content (ex. video clip-art, etc.) included in the
tool's distribution packages include pre-written Priority 3 EAs stored in
their text tracks or as separate descriptive files? (3.3)
Does the tool include the ability to search and reuse or otherwise manage
the EAs stored in separate descriptive files or text track? (3.5)
If the tool supports multimedia content formats with text tracks, does the
tool check for and notify the author when Priority 3 EAs are absent from this
track? (4.1)
Does the tool check for and notify the author when separate descriptive
files storing the Priority 3 EAs for multimedia content are absent? (4.1)
If the tool supports multimedia content formats with text tracks, does the
tool assist the author in adding Priority 3 EAs when they are found to be
absent? (4.2)
Does the tool assist the author in adding Priority 3 EAs to separate
descriptive files when they are found to be absent? (4.2)