Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0

Introduction

Purpose

This document outlines design principles for creating accessible Web content. When these principles are ignored, individuals with disabilities may not be able to access the content at all, or they may be able to do so only with great difficulty. When these principles are employed, they also make Web content accessible to a variety of Web-enabled devices, such as phones, handheld devices, kiosks, network appliances, etc. By making content accessible to a variety of devices, that content will also be accessible to people in a variety of situations.

The design principles in this document represent broad concepts that apply to all Web-based content. They are not specific to HTML, XML, or any other technology. This approach was taken so that the design principles could be applied to a variety of situations and technologies, including those that do not yet exist.

How to read this document

In order to facilitate understanding of the guidelines and to help people focus in on just the parts they need, the guidelines are presented as a set of interrelated documents. There are basically 3 layers to the guidelines information.

1 - Top layer - Overview of Design Principles, Guidelines, Success Criteria

The top layer is titled "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0". It is the document you are currently reading. This document provides:

An introduction
The 4 major principles for accessibility (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust).
The (non-technology-specific) guidelines (19 in total).
Success criteria (normative), and definitions, benefits and examples (all non-normative) for each guideline
An appendix containing definitions, references and other support information.

2 - Technology-specific Checklists

In addition to the general guidelines, there will be a series of technology-specific checklist documents. These documents will provide information on what is required when using different technologies in order to meet the WCAG 2.0 Working Draft access guidelines.

Editorial Note: These checklists do not yet exist. At the present time, the checklists are expected to be non-normative, though no formal decision has been made.

3 - Bottom layer - Technology-specific application information

The Techniques Documents will include code examples, screen shots, and other information specific to a technology. These documents will be non-normative. They will contain different strategies for meeting the requirements as well as the current preferred approaches where they exist. Examples include:

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML) Techniques
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Techniques
Server-side scripting Techniques
Client-side scripting Techniques
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Techniques
Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) Techniques
Extensible Markup Language (XML) Techniques

(These will become active links as the corresponding working drafts are published)

Audience

These guidelines have been written to meet the needs of many different audiences from policy makers, to managers, to those who create Web content, to those who code the pages. Every attempt has been made to make the document as readable and usable as possible while still retaining the accuracy and clarity needed in a technical specification. For first time users, the work of the Education and Outreach Working Group of the Web Accessibility Initiative is highly recommended.

Scope

These guidelines cover a wide range of issues and recommendations for making Web content more accessible. They include recommendations to make pages accessible and usable by people with a full range of disabilities. In general, the guidelines do not include standard usability recommendations except where they have specific ramifications for accessibility beyond standard usability impacts.

Priorities and Techniques

This WCAG 2.0 Working Draft does not assign priorities to guidelines, as did WCAG 1.0. Instead, guidelines include three levels of success criteria.

The main WCAG 2.0 Working Draft document does not include technology-specific implementation requirements or techniques, but it does include links to technology-specific requirements as well as technology-specific examples and techniques.

This Working Draft of WCAG 2.0 is a follow-on and evolution of WCAG 1.0 and reflects feedback received since the publication of WCAG 1.0 in May 1999. Although the same approaches to accessibility are followed in 1.0 and 2.0, the organization and structure have been improved significantly. In addition, the principles have been worded to make it easier to understand their application across the wide range of existing and emerging technologies.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group is working carefully to enable organizations and individuals that are currently using WCAG 1.0 (which remains stable and referenceable at this time) to ensure that they will eventually be able to make a smooth transition to WCAG 2.0. To understand how this eventual transition would be facilitated, please refer to the (draft) Mapping Between WCAG 1.0 and the WCAG 2.0 Working Draft for more detail on current correspondences.

Conformance

Editorial Note: As we publish this Working Draft of WCAG 2.0, the WCAG WG is in the midst of significantly changing the conformance scheme from previous drafts. This section outlines the conformance structure used throughout this document. Feedback, comments, and proposals are encouraged.

Guidelines are divided into three categories of success criterion:

Level 1 Success criterion:
1. do not specify how information is presented
2. are reasonably applicable to all websites
3. are testable (machine or reliably human)
Level 2 Success criterion:
1. may require an author to present content in particular ways
2. are reasonably applicable to all websites
3. are testable (machine or reliably human)
Level 3 Success criterion:
1. are additional criteria that go beyond Level 1 and 2 that may be applied to make sites accessible to more people with all or particular types of disability

Note:

Some guidelines do not contain level 1 success criteria.

Conformance Claims

In order to make a valid conformance claim for a Web resource, the resource must satisfy all level 1 success criteria for all guidelines.
A conformance claim of "WCAG 2.0 Level A" can be made if all level 1 success criteria for all guidelines have been met.
A conformance claim of "WCAG 2.0 A+" can be made if all level 1 success criteria for all guidelines and some level 2 success criteria have been met.
A conformance claim of "WCAG 2.0 AA" can be made if all level 1 success criteria andall level 2 success criteria for all guidelines have ben met.
A conformance claim of "WCAG 2.0 AAA" can be made if all level 1 and level 2 success criteria and X% of level 3 success criteria for all guidelines have ben met.

Editorial Note: Feedback from WCAG 1.0 indicates that developers often do not attempt to meet any Priority 2 Checkpoints because there is no way to indicate in the conformance claim that they have "done more than Level A but not enough to claim Level AA." "A+" is a proposal that allows developers to say, "I do more than A but not all of AA." However, some members of the WCAG WG have issues with the idea of having any "+" conformance claims such as A+ or AA+.

How should conformance claims state which Guidelines are met? in metadata? in a site accessibility statement? some other method?
How should conformance claims state how many Level 2 criterion are met? In metadata? With A+n (n=number of AA criterion met)? In a site accessibility statement? Some other method?
If A+ is claimed, should we require a statement about which criteria are met?
Is there a separate logo for each level: A, A+, and AA? If so,what does the logo point to?
Comparisons of A+ conformance claims can not be made unless detailed information is provided about the criteria that are met.
Should detailed conformance information be provided in metadata? There is doubt that it will be kept up to date, especially if the site becomes less accessible over time. Also, we may be unable to require metadata since some companies have indicated that the legal and ISO 9000 ramifications would prevent them from posting metadata describing the exact conformance.
If it were possible to claim "A+n" where "n" denotes the number of criteria that are met, some developers report that they would be encouraged to meet more criteria and increase the number they can report. However, people are likely to compare the number and these comparisons could be misleading. For example, a site that claims "A+2" could be more accessible than a site that claims "A+3" depending on which criteria are met.

All conformance claims must include (at minimum):

The version of the guidelines to which a conformance claim is made and the dated URI of the guidelines document.
The scope of the conformance claim. The scope describes which parts of a site or application are included in the claim.

Editorial Note: Should exclusions be allowed for certain types of content, such as third-party or copyrighted material that is being reprinted? How does one define scope? Is it an end-to-end process that the user should be able to complete? Is it a path through accessible content?
The set of criteria being claimed.
The date the conformance claim was made.

Sites that conform to WCAG 1.0

Sites that currently conform to WCAG 1.0 that want to shift towards WCAG 2.0 will want to capitalize on past accessibility efforts. A qualified conformance statement could allow them this flexibility. For example, a conformance claim might include the following statement, "Materials created or modified before 24 April 2003 conform to WCAG 1.0. Materials created or modified on or after 24 April 2003 conform to WCAG 2.0."

Editorial Note: In some instances, the WCAG 2.0 Working Draft may be easier to conform to than the WCAG 1.0 Recommendation while other criteria might be harder to meet in WCAG 2.0 than in WCAG 1.0. The WCAG WG will consider the differences between WCAG 1.0 and WCAG 2.0 conformance and offer advice to developers who currently conform to WCAG 1.0. This advice might take the form of a WCAG 1.0 conformance profile to WCAG 2.0 and information about migrating from WCAG 1.0 to WCAG 2.0. This advice is not yet available.

Overview of Design Principles

The overall goal is to create Web content that is perceivable, operable and understandable by the broadest possible range of users and compatible with their wide range of assistive technologies, now and in the future. The basic principles include:

Content must be Perceivable.
Operable. Ensure that the interface elements in the content are operable by any user.
Understandable. Make it as easy as possible to understand the content and controls.
Robust. Use Web technologies that maximize the ability of the content to work with current and future accessibility technologies and user agents.

Accessible Web content benefits a variety of people, not just people with disabilities. In the physical world, ramps are used by bicycles, people pushing strollers, and people in wheelchairs. Similarly, accessible Web content is beneficial to a variety of people with and without disabilities. For example, people who are temporarily operating under constrained conditions like operating in a noisy environment where they can not hear well at all, or driving their car where their eyes are busy would benefit from an accessible site. Likewise, a search engine can find a famous quote in a movie if the movie is captioned.

Note:

These principles apply only to Web content presented to a human reader. A structured database or metadata collection where the data is intended for use by another machine, and that requires no interface, lies outside the scope of these guidelines.

User needs

Here are a few scenarios, by no means an exhaustive list of the variations and types of disabilities and needs:

Someone who cannot hear will want to see the information normally presented via sound.
Someone who cannot see will want to hear or read through braille information that is usually presented visually.
Someone who does not have the strength to move quickly or easily will want to use as little movement as possible and have as much time as they need when operating Web interfaces.
Someone who does not read well may want to hear the information read aloud.

If Web content employs the design principles described in this document, then users should be able to access the content using adaptive strategies and assistive technologies. A screen reader is an example of an assistive technology that reads the page aloud. There are many other tools people with disabilities employ to make use of Web content. For more in-depth scenarios of people with disabilities using accessible and inaccessible Web content, please read "How People with Disabilities Use the Web".

Designing Accessible Web Content

These guidelines provide the basic requirements for designing accessible Web content. This document is not designed to provide the background needed to learn about accessible Web design in a thorough or effective manner for those interested in learning. Readers are therefore referred to the Education and Outreach Working Group of the Web Accessibility Initiative.

Principle 1: Content must be Perceivable.

Guideline 1.1 For non-text content, provide text equivalents that serve the same purpose or convey the same information as the non-text content, except when the purpose of the non-text content is to create a specific sensory experience (for example, music and visual art) in which case a text label or description is sufficient.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.1

text equivalents are explicitly associated with non-text content, except when the non-text content is intended to create a specific sensory experience (for example, music without words and visual art). [X]
- the text equivalent fulfills the same function as the author intended for the non-text content (that is, it conveys all of the intended information and achieves the same function as the non-text content).
non-text content that is designed to create a specific sensory experience (such as music without words or visual art) has a text label or a text description explicitly associated with it. [X]

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.1

No level 2 success criteria for this guideline.

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.1

a single text document (e.g. script) is provided that includes all important visual information, dialogue, and other important sounds). [X]

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 1.1 (Informative)

Individuals who are blind, have low vision, have cognitive disabilities or have trouble reading text for any reason can have the text read aloud to them.
Individuals who are deaf, are hard of hearing or who are having trouble understanding the audio information for any reason can read the text presentation or have it translated and presented as sign language by their assistive technology.
People who are deaf-blind can read the text in braille.

Examples of Guideline 1.1 (Informative)

Example 1: an image used as a button. (short description of function)

A right arrow icon is used to link to the next slide in a slide show. The text equivalent is "Next Slide," so that what is read by a screen reader would be "link: Next Slide."
Example 2: a data chart. (short label + longer description)

A bar chart compares how many widgets were sold in June, July, and August. The short label says, "Figure one - Sales in June, July and August." The longer description identifies the type of chart or graph, provides a high-level summary of the data comparable to that available from the chart or graph, and lists the data themselves.
Example 3: an animation. (short label + longer description)

An animation shows how to tie a knot. The short label says, "An animation showing how to tie a square knot." The longer explanation describes the hand movements needed to tie the knot.
Example 4: an audio file of a speech. (short label + transcript)

An audio file is embedded in a Web page. The short label says, "Chairman's speech to the assembly." A link to a text transcript is provided immediately after the clip.
Example 5: an audio file of a symphony. (short label)

An audio file is embedded in a Web page. The short label says, "Beethoven's 5th Symphony performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra."

Guideline 1.2 Provide synchronized media equivalents for time-dependent presentations.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.2

Editorial Note: There is discussion about moving some of the current success criteria from Level 1 to Level 2. The issue stems from trying to apply the success criteria to every Web cam, newscast, and home broadcast. Another approach is to allow a conformance claim to state, for example, "All pages and applications on this site meet the Level 1 guidelines of WCAG 2.0 except the Web cam at http://example.org/webcam/."

an audio description of visual events is provided for audio-visual media. [X]
captions are provided for all significant dialogue and sounds in time-dependent material. [X]

Editorial Note: A definition for "time dependent" is needed that explains that it includes audio and visual information presented at the same time, as well as audio or visual with interaction, or in combination with real-time events.

Exception:

If the Web content is real-time and audio-only and not time-sensitive and not interactive a transcript or other non-audio equivalent is sufficient.

Editorial Note: This exception also applies to item 3.
descriptions and captions are synchronized with the events they represent. [X]
if the Web content is real-time video with audio, real-time captions are provided unless the content: [X]
- is a music program that is primarily non-vocal
if the Web content is real-time non-interactive video (e.g., a Webcam of ambient conditions), either provide an equivalent that conforms to guideline 1.1 (e.g., an ongoing update of weather conditions) or link to an equivalent that conforms to guideline 1.1 (e.g., a link to a weather Web site). [X]
if a pure audio or pure video presentation requires a user to respond interactively at specific times in the presentation, then a time-synchronized equivalent (audio, visual or text) presentation is provided. [X]

Exception:

if content is rebroadcast from another medium or resource that complies to broadcast requirements for accessibility (independent of these guidelines), the rebroadcast satisfies the guideline if it complies with the other guidelines.

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.2

Editorial Note: This whole guideline (1.2) needs reworking. Perhaps move some down from above, or limit the items above to just certain classes of content - and then put the rest of the coverage (for other types of content) here.

captions and audio descriptions are provided for all live broadcasts. [X]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.2

the presentation does not require the user to read captions and the visual presentation simultaneously in order to understand the content. [Y]

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 1.2 (Informative)

People who are deaf or have a hearing loss can access the auditory information through the captions.
People who are blind or have low vision as well as those with cognitive disabilities who have difficulty interpreting visually what is happening benefit from the audio descriptions of the visual information.

People without disabilities also benefit from the media equivalents.

People in noisy environments or with muted sound often use captions.
Captions are used by many to develop language and reading skills.
Audio descriptions also provide visual information for people who are temporarily looking away from the video presentation such as when following an instructional video and looking at their hands.
Captions and text descriptions can also be used to index and search media files.

Note:

Time-dependent presentations requiring people to use a single sense to follow two or more things at the same time may present significant barriers to some users. Depending on the nature of the presentation, it may be possible to avoid scenarios where, for example, a deaf user would be required to watch an action on the screen and read the captions at the same time. However, this may not be available for live broadcasts (e.g. a football game). Where possible (especially for education and training materials), provide content so that it does not require tracking multiple simultaneous events with the same sense, or, give the user the ability to freeze the video so that captions can be read without missing the video.

Examples of Guideline 1.2 (Informative)

Example 1: a movie clip with audio description and captions.

A clip from a movie is published on a Web site. In the clip, a child is trying to lure a puppy to the child's bedroom by laying a trail of crumbs. The child mumbles inaudibly to himself as he lays the trail. When not watching the video, it is not obvious that he is laying a trail of crumbs since all you hear is the mumbling. The audio description that is interspersed with the child's mumbling says "Charlie lays a crumb on each stair leading to his room." The caption that appears as he mumbles is, "[inaudible mumbling]."
Example 2: a video clip of a news story.

A video clip accompanies a news story about the recent flooding in a major city. The reporter describes what is seen, for everyone. No audio description is necessary. The captions display what the reporter is saying.
Example 3: a silent animation.

An animation shows a pantomime climbing a ladder. There is no audio track for this animation. No captions or audio description are required. Instead, a text equivalent is provided as described in guideline 1.1.

Guideline 1.3 Information, functionality, and structure are separable from presentation.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.3

the following can be derived programmatically (i.e. through a markup or data model that is assistive technology compatible) from the content without requiring user interpretation of presentation.
1. any hierarchical elements and relationships, such as headings, paragraphs and lists
2. any non-hierarchical relationships between elements such as cross-references and linkages, associations between labels and controls, associations between cells and their headers, etc.
3. any emphasis
any information presented through color is also available without color (e.g. through context or markup or non-color dependent coding). [I#317] [X]
text content is not presented over a background image or pattern OR the text is easily readable when the page is viewed in black and white (no grayscale). [Y]

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.3

any information presented using color is also available without color and without having to interpret markup.[I#317] [Y]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.3

No level 3 success criteria for this guideline.

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 1.3 (Informative)

Separating content and structure from presentation allows Web pages to be presented differently to meet the needs and constraints of different users without losing any of the information or structure. For example, information can be presented via speech or braille (text) that was originally intended to be presented visually.
It can also facilitate automatic emphasis of structure or more efficient navigation.
All of these can benefit people with cognitive, physical, hearing, and visual disabilities.

Examples of Guideline 1.3 (Informative)

Example 1: a multi-column document.

A document is marked up with headings, paragraphs and other structural features. It is presented visually in three columns. The markup that creates the columns is separate from the markup that specifies the logical structure of the document.
Example 2: a scrolling list of stock prices.

Current stock quotes are scrolled horizontally across the screen. The data are separate from the methods used to scroll the text across the page.
Example 3: a 3-dimensional site map.

A custom user interface renders 3D visualizations of the pages on a site and how they relate to one another from a data source. Any hierarchical relationships, groupings, cross-references, etc. would originate in the data source so that alternate interfaces could be rendered (from the same source) that expose the structure of the site in an accessible form. (See also guideline 4.3)
Example 4: a list that allows users to sort information on a page according to preference.

A script allows a user to rearrange a categorical listing of music files by date, artist, genre, or file size. The script updates both the structure and the presentation accordingly when generating alternate views.

Guideline 1.4 All text can be decoded into words represented in Unicode.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.4

Editorial Note: The CKW reorganization suggested that this guideline be combined with guideline 3.2. [I#442]

text in the content is provided in Unicode or sufficient information is provided so that it can be automatically mapped back to Unicode. [X]

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.4

abbreviations and acronyms are clearly identified each time they occur if they collide with a word in the standard language that would also logically appear in the same case (e.g. all caps). (See also guideline 3.1) [I#341] [X]
symbols such as diacritic marks that are found in standard usage of the natural language of the content, and that are necessary for unambiguous identification of words, are present or another standard mechanism for disambiguation is provided. [X]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.4

No level 3 success criteria for this guideline.

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 1.4 (Informative)

Facilitating unambiguous decoding of characters and words in content is also helpful for individuals who are learning to read or learning a second language.

Examples of Guideline 1.4 (Informative)

Example 1: an acronym in a page title.

In the following heading, "People of the W3C." the acronym "W3C" is marked as an acronym. Because it has been marked appropriately, the user agent would be able to speak the letters of the acronym one at a time rather than attempting to pronounce it as though it were a word.

Guideline 1.5 Structure has been made perceivable through presentation. [I#439] [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.5

No level 1 success criteria for this guideline

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.5

the structural elements present have a different visual appearance or auditory characteristic from each other and from body text. [Y]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.5

the structural emphases are chosen to be distinct on different major visual display types (e.g. black and white, small display, mono audio playback). [Y]
content is constructed such that users can control the presentation of structural elements or the emphasis on the structure can be varied through alternate presentation formats. [Y]

Editorial Note: : The following items are techniques and would be moved to the techniques gateway.

for visual presentations, font variations, styles, size and white space can be used to emphasize structure. [Y]
color and graphics can be used to emphasize structure. [Y]
for auditory presentations, different voice characteristics and/sounds can be used for major headings, sections and other structural elements. [Y]
if content is targeted for a specific user group and the presentation of the structured content is not salient enough to meet the needs of your audience, additional graphics, colors, sounds, and other aspects of presentation can be used to emphasize the structure. [Y]

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 1.5 (Informative)

Presentation that emphasizes structure:

enables users with cognitive and visual disabilities to orient themselves within the content,
enables all users to move quickly through the content and notice major content divisions
enables all users, but particularly users with visual or cognitive disabilities to focus on important content,
enables all users, but particularly users with visual or cognitive disabilities to distinguish the different types of content.

Examples of Guideline 1.5 (Informative)

Example 1: documentation for a product.

Identifying chapters in the structure of a book is appropriate and accepted use of labeling the structure. Within the chapters, headings identify (label) changes in context and highlight ideas contained in the following text. Subtle differences between the appearance of the chapter title and the section headings helps the user understand the hierarchy and relationship between the title and headings. The only difference might be font size and margin indentation when presented visually, and spoken in a difference voice or preceded by a sound when presented auditorily.
Example 2: a data table.

Groups of rows or columns are labeled with headers.
Example 3: an audio presentation.

An audio rendering of a document, generated according to a style sheet, uses a different, more formal voice to read titles and headers so the listener can easily identify the words as a title and not part of the running text.

Guideline 1.6 Foreground content is easily differentiable from background for visual default presentations. [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.6

No level 1 success criteria for this guideline

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.6

text that is presented over a background color or grayscale has a mechanism that allows the text to be presented in a fashion that has a contrast greater than ______ between text and background color as measured by ______.[I#344] [Y]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.6

when text content is presented over a background image or pattern, the text is easily readable when the page is viewed in 256 grayscale. [Y]

Editorial Note: this item may be moved or updated if the proposal for adding a guideline on color is accepted.
this item should read identically to the required item #1, except that it should say "in default presentation mode." [Y]

Editorial Note: The working group is seeking an algorithm that measures contrast in a way that is accurate and testable enough that we could include it in the guidelines. One algorithm, which comes from the Techniques For Accessibility Evaluation And Repair Tools document, is currently under consideration for inclusion in the techniques, but the group has not yet found something that is specific enough to be included at the guidelines level.

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 1.6 (Informative)

Individuals with low vision can easily make out characters in the content even if they don't have the wide field of view or full range of color perception used by fully sighted persons to separate text from background images.

Examples of Guideline 1.6 (Informative)

Example 1: a background image on a page.

A background image and text are arranged so that there is no image behind the text or the image is so faint that the difference between the darkest part of the image and the text (which is dark) meets the standard foreground/background contrast requirements. The image behind the text also does not contain lines that are about the same width as the characters so they do not interfere with character recognition.

Guideline 1.7 Foreground content is easily differentiable from background for auditory default presentations. [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.7

No level 1 success criteria for this guideline

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.7

audio content does not contain background sounds OR the background sounds are at least 20 db lower than the foreground audio content. [Y]

Note:

A 20 db difference in sound level is roughly 4 times quieter (or louder).

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.7

No level 3 success criteria for this guideline.

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 1.7 (Informative)

Individuals with hearing impairments that limit their ability to hear all of the frequencies of speech can make out the words from the sounds they can hear because they are not mixed with residual sounds from the music.

Examples of Guideline 1.7 (Informative)

Example 1: speech over background sounds.

Because speech is often naturally mixed with background sounds (movies, live news etc) and cannot be easily removed or separated, captions are provided (under guideline 1.2) to make dialog understandable. However not all people can see or read the captions. Where speech is mixed or recorded so that it is at least 20 db above any background sounds people do not need to rely on captions to understand the dialog.

Principle 2: OPERABLE. Ensure that Interface Elements in the Content are Operable by Any User

Guideline 2.1 All functionality is operable at a minimum through a keyboard or a keyboard interface.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.1

all of the functionality of the content, where the functionality or its outcome can be expressed in words, is operable at a minimum through a keyboard or keyboard interface. [X]

Note:

refer to guideline 4.3 for information regarding user agent support.

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.1

wherever a choice between event handlers is available and supported, the more abstract event is used. [X]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.1

No level 3 success criteria for this guideline.

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 2.1 (Informative)

Individuals who are blind (and cannot use pointing devices) can have access to the functionality of the Web content or site.
Individuals with severe physical disabilities can use speech input (which simulates keystrokes) to both enter data and operate the interface elements on the page.

Examples of Guideline 2.1 (Informative)

Example 1: operation with multiple input devices.

The content relies only on focus-in, focus-out, and activation events; these are defined in the API of the environment for which the content is written, and are intended to be operable by a variety of input devices, including pointing devices, keyboards and speech input systems.
Example 2: examples of Web content that would and would not be operable from a keyboard or keyboard interface
- If it's written to be operable from a computer keyboard, it conforms. (because it is operable from the keyboard.)
- If it's written to be used on a device that doesn't usually have a keyboard such as a cell phone and but it can be controlled by an optional keyboard for that device, it conforms. (A person who needs a keyboard - or alternate keyboard - can use it to control the application.)
- If it's written to be used with a device that doesn't have a keyboard, but it could also be used by similar devices that do and it would work with their keyboard, it conforms. (A person who needs a keyboard would not buy the device without the keyboard. That device may itself not be considered accessible. But the content can be controlled from a device with a keyboard and therefore conforms to this guideline.)
- If it's written to work with devices that do not have keyboards and it can not be used by any other devices that do have keyboards, then it does not conform. (It cannot be accessed via keyboard.)

Guideline 2.2 Users can control any time limits on their reading, interaction, or responses unless control is not possible due to nature of real-time events or competition.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.2

content is designed so that time limits are not an essential part of interaction or at least one of the following is true for each time limit: [X]
- the user is allowed to deactivate the time limits,
- or the user is allowed to adjust the time limit over a wide range which is at least ten times or default setting or average user's preference,
- or the user is warned before time expires and given at least 10 seconds to extend the time limit,
- or the time limit is due to a real-time event (e.g. auction) and no alternative to the time limit is possible,
- or the time limit is part of a competitive activity where timing is an essential part of the activity (e.g. competitive gaming or time based testing).

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.2

any blinking content can be turned off. [X]
any moving content can be paused. [X]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.2

there are no time limits as a part of a competitive activity (content has been redesigned so that time limits are not an essential part of interaction) [Y]

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 2.2 (Informative)

People with reading disabilities, cognitive disabilities, and learning disabilities often need more time than most people to read and comprehend written text. People with physical disabilities might not be able to move quickly or accurately enough to interact with moving objects.
Content that is updated often might not be processed and read in time or in the proper order by an assistive technology or voice browser.

Examples of Guideline 2.2 (Informative)

Examples of content that requires comprehension or a response within a timed interval:
- automatic refresh
- redirection
- blinking or scrolling text
- dialog that disappears after a short period
- shutdown or deactivation of page if activity is not received in a set amount of time
Example 1: blinking text.

Client-side scripting is used to create blinking text. The user can deactivate the use of scripting in his or her browser or override the use of scripts with a user style sheet.
Example 2: a news site that is updated regularly.

A news site causes its front page to be updated every 1/2 hour. The front page contains minimal text and primarily consists of links to content. A user who does not wish the page to update selects a checkbox. The checkbox is in the "user preferences" portion of the site which is one of the first links on each page.

Guideline 2.3 User can avoid experiencing screen flicker.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.3

Editorial Note (06/10/03): This guideline is currently a level 1 success criterion because the WCAG WG expects that it will be possible to test content for flicker and the result will be a flicker rate in Hz that can be stored in a machine-readable format. If the assumption regarding a testing tool does not hold at time of final review of these guidelines, this criterion will be moved to level 2."

At least one of the following is true: [Y]
1. content was not designed to flicker (or flash) in the range of 3 to 49 Hz.
2. if flicker is unavoidable, the user is warned of the flicker before they go to the page, and as close a version of the content as is possible without flicker is provided.
Editorial Note: We would like to include a third criteria here that would state that a test that was conducted and the pages passed. No test or tool exists yet though. We're looking into how such a test and/or tool might be designed.

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.3

animation or other content does not visibly or purposely flicker between 3 and 49 Hz. [Y]
content that might create a problem has been tested [using XYZ tool]; only pages with unavoidable flicker remain and appropriate warnings along with a close alternative presentation have been provided for these pages. [Y]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.3

No level 3 success criteria for this guideline.

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 2.3 (Informative)

Individuals with photosensitive epilepsy can have seizures triggered by flickering or flashing in the 3 to 49 flashes per second (Hertz) range with a peak sensitivity at 20 flashes per second.
Individuals who are easily distracted may not be able to focus on page content with flicker occurring in the same visual field.

Guideline 2.4 Mechanisms have been added to facilitate orientation and movement in content. [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.4

No level 1 success criteria for this guideline

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.4

Editorial Note: The CKW reorganization proposed that all of the items in required be removed and proposed a rewording of the item in level 2 that addressed logical, linear reading order. [I#441]

In documents greater than 50,000 words or sites larger than 50 perceived pages, at least one of the following is provided. [Y]
1. hierarchical structure mark up
2. Table of contents (or site map)
3. Alternate display orders (or alternate site navigation mechanisms)
Users are able to skip over large blocks of repetitive material, navigational bars or other blocks of links that are greater than 7 when reading with a synthesizer or navigating using keyboard.[I#323] [Y]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.4

the content has been reviewed, taking into account the following strategies for facilitating orientation and movement, applying them as appropriate. [Y]
1. breaking up text into logical paragraphs
2. providing hierarchical sections and titles, particularly for longer documents
3. revealing important non-hierarchical relationships, such as cross-references, or the correspondence between header and data cells in a table, so that they are represented unambiguously in the markup or data model
4. dividing very large works into sections and or chapters with logical labels
5. others?
information is provided that would allow an assistive technology to determine at least one logical, linear reading order. [X]
diagrams are constructed in a fashion so that they have structure that can be accessed by the user. [X]
where possible, logical tab order has been created.[I#319] [X]

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 2.4 (Informative)

When the logical structure is provided in markup or a data model,
- Users with physical disabilities can use structure to more easily jump between paragraphs, chapters, sections etc.
- Users with cognitive disabilities can use structure (chapter titles, headers, etc.) to provide more context for the text that follows them. They also provide warning of a change in context and reorient the user to the new focus.
- Users with blindness or low vision can jump from header to header to get an overview or to more quickly "skim" to the section they are interested in.
- Readers with low vision can sometimes (depending on display technology) change how chapter titles and headers are displayed to make them more visible -and easier to use when skimming the document.
- the content can be presented on a variety of devices because the device software can choose only those elements of the content that it is able to display and display them in the most effective way for that device.
Providing different navigation mechanisms can provide a better match between different people's skills, background knowledge, visual vs. text orientation, and the type of information they are seeking at the moment.
Individuals with cognitive disabilities may find it easier to ask for what they want than to deduce its location from categorical choices.
Individuals with low vision or blindness may find search techniques that fetch everything that relates to a topic of interest to be easier than techniques that require them to scan lists or pages for the items.

Examples of Guideline 2.4 (Informative)

Example 1: a physics dissertation.

A dissertation contains well-defined sections such as "Abstract," "Table of Contents," "Chapter 1," etc. The pieces in each section (paragraphs, subheadings, quotes) are denoted with structural markup.
Example 2: a scalable image of a bicycle.

Lines and a circle (spokes and rim) are grouped into a "wheel." Lines in a triangle that attach to each wheel are grouped into a "frame."
Example 3: user interface.

User interface controls are divided into organized groups.

Guideline 2.5 Methods are provided to minimize error and provide graceful recovery. [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.5

No level 1 success criteria for this guideline

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.5

Editorial Note: The CKW proposal suggested that this success criterion be combined with one of the (now level 3) items and that another level 2 item be moved up. [I#440]

if an error is detected, feedback is provided to the user identifying the error (in an accessible form that meets Level A of the guidelines). [X]

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.5

where possible, the user is allowed to select from a list of options as well as to generate input text directly [Y]
errors are identified specifically and suggestions for correction are provided where possible [Y]
checks for misspelled words are applied and correct spellings are suggested when text entry is required. [Y]
where consequences are significant and time-response is not important, one of the following is true [Y]
1. actions are reversible
2. where not reversible, actions are checked for errors in advance
3. where not reversible, and not checkable, a confirmation is asked before acceptance

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 2.5 (Informative)

Individuals with writing disabilities and people with dyslexia often have difficulty writing text in forms or other places that need text input.
Individuals with speech disabilities might not be recognized properly in voice input applications.

Examples of Guideline 2.5 (Informative)

Example 1: a search engine.

A search engine is provided with a variety of search options for different skill levels and preferences. It includes a spell checker and offers "best guess" alternatives, query-by-example searches, and similarity searches.

Principle 3: UNDERSTANDABLE. Make content and controls understandable to as many users as possible.

Guideline 3.1 Language of content can be programmatically determined.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 3.1

passages or fragments of text occurring within the content that are written in a language other than the primary natural language of the content as a whole, are identified, including specification of the language of the passage or fragment. [X]
Note:
1. Foreign words or phrases that are found in standard unabridged dictionaries for the natural language of the content do not need to be marked.
2. This success criterion applies only to foreign words, not to imaginary words, dialect abbreviations and other words that may not be found in an unabridged dictionary of the primary language but that are not foreign words.
[???] document attributes identify the natural language of the document. [X]

Editorial Note: In techniques discussion, it has been argued that language attributes for documents are as important as identifying changes in language within documents. Moving it up here for future discussion.

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 3.1

No Double-A success criteria for this guideline.

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 3.1

No level 3 success criteria for this guideline.

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 3.1 (Informative)

Phrases from various languages are often interspersed in writing. When these phrases are identified, a speech synthesizer can voice text with the appropriate accent and pronunciation. When they are not identified, the speech synthesizer will use the default accent and pronunciation of the language on the rest of the page, which can make the phrase unintelligible. Identifying changes in language will also allow a tool to ask for automatic translations of that content. When editing content, authoring tools can switch between appropriate spelling dictionaries.

Examples of Guideline 3.1 (Informative)

Example 1: a French phrase in an English sentence.

In the following sentence, "And with a certain je ne sais quoi, she entered both the room, and his life, forever." the French phrase "je ne sais quoi" is marked as French. Depending on the markup language, English may either be marked as the language for the entire document except where specified, or marked at the paragraph level.

Guideline 3.2 The definition of abbreviations and acronyms can be unambiguously determined. [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 3.2

No level 1 success criteria for this guideline

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 3.2

Editorial Note: The CKW reorganization suggested that this guideline be combined with guideline 1.4. [I#442]

acronyms and abbreviations do not appear first in standard unabridged dictionaries for the language or define the first time the first time they appear or are available in a glossary on the site.[I#330] [X]

Editorial Note: If a standard format for doing it can be achieved, we might require that linkages to glossaries for all abbreviations and acronyms that are created by the author or site be provided. We could also recommend that linkages to any abbreviations, acronyms, etc. used by the authors also be provided. We could also have a weaker recommendation for acronyms and abbreviations appearing on the site that linkages to glossaries explaining all abbreviations acronyms, etc. that appear in any documents on the site be provided.

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 3.2

a list is provided on the page or home page of URIs to cascading dictionaries that can or should be used to define abbreviations or acronyms.[I#350]
the content has been reviewed, taking into account the following strategies for determining the definition of abbreviations and acronyms, applying them as appropriate. [Y]
1. provide a definition or link (with the first occurrence) of phrases, words, acronyms, and abbreviations specific to a particular community.
2. provide a summary for relationships that may not be obvious from analyzing the structure of a table but that may be apparent in a visual rendering of the table.
3. if contracted forms of words are used such that they are ambiguous, provide semantic markup to make words unique and interpretable.

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 3.2 (Informative)

Defining key terms and specialized language will help people who are not familiar with the topic.
Providing the expansion of abbreviations and acronyms not only helps people who are not familiar with the abbreviation or acronym but can clarify which meaning of an abbreviation or acronym is appropriate to use. For example, the acronym "ADA" stands for both the American with Disabilities Act as well as the American Dental Association.

Guideline 3.3 Content is no more complex than is necessary and/or is supplemented with simpler forms of the content. [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 3.3

No level 1 success criteria for this guideline

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 3.3

the content has been reviewed, taking into account the following strategies for evaluating the complexity of the content, applying them as appropriate. [Y]
1. familiarity of terms and language structure
2. reasonableness of length and complexity of sentences
3. coherence of paragraphs (and sensibility in length)
4. clarity of headings and linked text when read out of context
5. accuracy and uniqueness of page titles
6. care in the use of all-capital letters where normal sentence case might increase comprehension
7. inclusion of non-text content to supplement text for key pages or sections of the site where they felt it was appropriate.

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 3.3

the content has been reviewed, taking into account the strategies for evaluating the complexity of content, applying them as appropriate. [Y]

Not reliably testable

The following items are candidates for removal from the guidelines document:

(none at this time)

Benefits of Guideline 3.3 (Informative)

All users, especially those with cognitive, learning, and/or reading disabilities benefit from the use of clear and simple writing. This should not discourage you from expressing complex or technical ideas.
Using clear and simple language also benefits people whose first language differs from your own, including those people who communicate primarily in sign language.
Sounds, graphics, videos and animations can help make concepts presented in a Web site easier to understand, especially for people with cognitive, reading, or learning disabilities or those who are unfamiliar with the language of the text of the site.
Summarizing information that is difficult to understand helps people who do not read well.
Providing a summary of the visual cues that show relationships between complex information helps people who do not use visual cues or who have difficulty using visual cues. For example, people who are completely blind do not use any visual cues, while people with dyslexia or with low vision might have difficulty interpreting visual cues.

Note:

Designers need to be cautious in deciding when to use illustrations. Reading a picture is probably a learned activity that is easier for some than others. Some users skip the pictures; others read only the pictures. Designers must also recognize that visual conventions are not universal and that individuals develop their own mental schema and expectations in interpreting visual information.

Examples of Guideline 3.3 (Informative)

Example 1: a description of a process.

A page describes how to learn to play soccer. Each step in learning the fundamentals of the game is illustrated with a photograph of a player doing what is described in the text.
Example 2: a concrete concept.

The primary concept on a page is concrete. It is discussing Mt. Pinatubo. It includes both a description of the 1991 eruption as well as photos of the eruption and the aftermath. It links to another site that contains video and another site that contains a 3D simulation of what happened underneath the crust and within the volcano during the eruption.
Example 3: child's report of school trip.

A child went with her school on a trip to a bicycle manufacturing plant. She wrote a report for her family and friends to post to the Web. In the report, she includes the company logo as well as a picture of a bicycle on the assembly line. She links to the company Web site for more information. She includes photos she took of the plant.
Example 4: stock trading data.

A news site is comparing the performance of the economy from 3rd quarter of this year with 3rd quarter from the last 3 years. They compare prices of the most popular stocks. They present the data in a bar graph with a link to the raw data they used to create the bar graph.
Example 5: history of music.

A grandfather's hobby is listening to and playing music. He creates a Web site that includes examples of many different types of music and musical instruments. When describing specific types of music, he links to a short sound clip.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0

W3C Working Draft 17 November 2003

Abstract

Status of this Document

Table of Contents

Appendices

Introduction

Purpose

How to read this document

1 - Top layer - Overview of Design Principles, Guidelines, Success Criteria

2 - Technology-specific Checklists

3 - Bottom layer - Technology-specific application information

Audience

Scope

Priorities and Techniques

Conformance

Conformance Claims

Sites that conform to WCAG 1.0

Overview of Design Principles

User needs

Designing Accessible Web Content

Principle 1: Content must be Perceivable.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.1

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.1

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.1

Not reliably testable

Benefits of Guideline 1.1 (Informative)

Examples of Guideline 1.1 (Informative)

Guideline 1.2 Provide synchronized media equivalents for time-dependent presentations.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.2

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.2

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.2

Not reliably testable

Benefits of Guideline 1.2 (Informative)

Examples of Guideline 1.2 (Informative)

Guideline 1.3 Information, functionality, and structure are separable from presentation.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.3

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.3

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.3

Not reliably testable

Benefits of Guideline 1.3 (Informative)

Examples of Guideline 1.3 (Informative)

Guideline 1.4 All text can be decoded into words represented in Unicode.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.4

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.4

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.4

Not reliably testable

Benefits of Guideline 1.4 (Informative)

Examples of Guideline 1.4 (Informative)

Guideline 1.5 Structure has been made perceivable through presentation. [I#439] [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.5

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.5

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.5

Not reliably testable

Benefits of Guideline 1.5 (Informative)

Examples of Guideline 1.5 (Informative)

Guideline 1.6 Foreground content is easily differentiable from background for visual default presentations. [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.6

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.6

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.6

Not reliably testable

Benefits of Guideline 1.6 (Informative)

Examples of Guideline 1.6 (Informative)

Guideline 1.7 Foreground content is easily differentiable from background for auditory default presentations. [level 2 guideline]

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.7

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.7

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 1.7

Not reliably testable

Benefits of Guideline 1.7 (Informative)

Examples of Guideline 1.7 (Informative)

Principle 2: OPERABLE. Ensure that Interface Elements in the Content are Operable by Any User

Guideline 2.1 All functionality is operable at a minimum through a keyboard or a keyboard interface.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.1

Level 2 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.1

Level 3 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.1

Not reliably testable

Benefits of Guideline 2.1 (Informative)

Examples of Guideline 2.1 (Informative)

Guideline 2.2 Users can control any time limits on their reading, interaction, or responses unless control is not possible due to nature of real-time events or competition.

Level 1 Success Criteria for Guideline 2.2