Set of Documents

From WCAG WG

Definition of "set of documents"

In response to the WCAG request to move the definition of “set of documents” out of the notes for 2.4.1, 2.4.5, and 3.2.3, we propose the following change/addition to the section on Key Terms and the three SC that use it.

(Note: you can see the proposal with changes marked as proposal #6.)

Key Terms

There are several terms used throughout WCAG 2.0 that need to be interpreted differently when applied to non-Web ICT. These include: “content”, and “user agent”. Further, the term “Web page” in WCAG 2.0 is replaced with newly defined terms “document” and “software”, and both "set of web pages" and "multiple web pages" are replaced with the newly defined term "set of documents”.

Further information on usage of these terms follows.

[keep existing term explanations with the following new one on "set of non-web documents" at the appropriate place alphabetically]

set of non-web documents (as used in WCAG2ICT)

group of documents that are published together, and where the items all refer to each other by name or link.

Note 1: Republishing or bundling previously published documents as a collection does not constitute a set of documents.

Note 2: If a set is broken apart, the individual parts are no longer part of a set, and would be evaluated as any other individual documents.

One example of a set of documents would be a three-part report where each part is a separate file. At the beginning of each file the table of contents for "navigating" to the other parts is repeated.

For SC 2.4.1

Additional guidance when applying Success Criterion 2.4.1 to non-web Documents and Software:

For Documents:

This applies as written and described in INTENT of Understanding WCAG 2.0 (above), replacing “Web pages” with “documents within a set of non-web documents”

With these substitutions, it would read:

2.4.1 Bypass Blocks: A mechanism is available to bypass blocks of content that are repeated on multiple documents within a set of non-web documents.

For Software:

The WCAG2ICT Task Force has not yet produced additional guidance for software for Success Criterion 2.4.1.

For SC 2.4.5

Additional guidance when applying Success Criterion 2.4.5 to non-web Documents and Software:

For Documents:

This applies as written and described in INTENT of Understanding WCAG 2.0 (above), replacing “Web page” with “document” and "set of Web pages" with "set of non-web documents"

With these substitutions, it would read:

2.4.5 Multiple Ways: More than one way is available to locate a document within a set of non-web documents except where the document is the result of, or a step in, a process.

Note 1: Authors should assume that an infrastructure exists to allow a user to locate documents in the set; for example, by selecting links within a member of the set, browsing through the files that make up the set, or by searching within members of the set for the names of the other members.

Note 2: A file directory would be the equivalent of a site map for documents in that it provides a link to each of the documents in the set of documents. The directory also acts as the HOME for the set.

Note 3: A search function in a file system (that finds documents) would be equivalent to a Web search function for Web pages.

Note 4: Authors can assume that the non-Web documents will be stored and accessed on a major operating system with browse and search abilities unless they have specific information to the contrary.

For Software:

The WCAG2ICT Task Force has not yet produced additional guidance for software for Success Criterion 2.4.5.

For SC 3.2.3

Additional guidance when applying Success Criterion 3.2.3 to non-web Documents and Software:

For Documents:

This applies as written and described in INTENT of Understanding WCAG 2.0 (above), replacing “multiple Web pages” with “multiple documents” and "set of Web pages" with "set of non-web documents".

With these substitutions, it would read:

3.2.3 Consistent Navigation: Navigational mechanisms that are repeated on multiple documents within a set of non-web documents occur in the same relative order each time they are repeated, unless a change is initiated by the user.

For Software:

The WCAG2ICT Task Force has not yet produced additional guidance for software for Success Criterion 3.2.3.