This document examines the impact of each checkpoint listed in the
User Agent Accessibility Guidelines. Each checkpoint indicates the
disabilities and technologies most affected.
This document has been created as support material for the User
Agent Guidelines 1.0 Candidate Recommendation [ URI not yet
available]. This document is not meant to become a W3C
Recommendation.
This is a W3C Working Draft for review by W3C Members and other
interested parties. It is a draft document and may be updated,
replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is
inappropriate to use W3C Working Drafts as reference material or to
cite them as other than "work in progress". This is work in progress
and does not imply endorsement by, or the consensus of W3C or the
User Agent Guidelines Working Group.
A list of current W3C Recommendations and other technical documents
can be found at http://www.w3.org/TR.
Each checkpoint links to its definition in the User Agent
Accessibility Guidelines. A list presentation of this
table is also available.
| Checkpoint | Disabilities | Input Technologies | Output Technologies |
|---|
| Checkpoint 1.1: Ensure that every functionality available through the user interface is also available through every input device API supported by the user agent. Excluded from this requirement are functionalities that are part of the input device API itself (e.g., text input for the keyboard API, pointer motion for the pointer API, etc.) [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
none |
| Checkpoint 1.2: Use the standard input and output device APIs of the operating system. [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 1.3: Ensure that the user can interact with all active elements in a device-independent manner. [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 1.4: Ensure that every functionality available through the user interface is also available through the standard keyboard API. [Priority 1]
|
blind, physical, low vision |
keyboard, voice |
none |
| Checkpoint 1.5: Ensure that the user interface provides information through redundant output modes. [Priority 1]
|
all |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 2.1: Ensure that the user has access to all content, including alternative equivalents for content. [Priority 1]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, cognitive/learning, ep (e.g. descriptions of animations) |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 2.2: For presentations that require user interaction within a specified time interval, allow the user to configure the time interval (e.g., by allowing the user to pause and restart the presentation, to slow it down, etc.). [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 2.3: When the author has not supplied a text equivalent for content as required by the markup language, make available other author-supplied information about the content (e.g., object type, file name, etc.). [Priority 2]
|
blind, low vision |
none |
speech, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 2.4: When a text equivalent for content is explicitly empty (i.e., an empty string), render nothing. [Priority 3]
|
blind, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 2.5: If more than one alternative equivalent is available for content, allow the user to choose from among the alternatives. This includes the choice of viewing no alternatives. [Priority 1]
|
blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, co (or all?) |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech |
| Checkpoint 2.6: Allow the user to specify that text transcripts, captions, and auditory descriptions be rendered at the same time as the associated auditory and visual tracks. [Priority 1]
|
blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech, braille |
| Checkpoint 2.7: For author-identified but unsupported natural languages, allow the user to request notification of language changes in content. [Priority 3]
|
all, especially bl |
none |
audio, speech |
| Checkpoint 3.1: Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of background images. [Priority 1]
|
blind, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech |
| Checkpoint 3.2: Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of background audio. [Priority 1]
|
all |
none |
audio |
| Checkpoint 3.3: Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of video. [Priority 1]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech |
| Checkpoint 3.4: Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of audio. [Priority 1]
|
all, especially df, hard of hearing, cognitive/learning |
none |
audio |
| Checkpoint 3.5: Allow the user to turn on and off animated or blinking text. [Priority 1]
|
blind, low vision, cognitive/learning, epilepsy |
none |
visual, braille, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 3.6: Allow the user to turn on and off animations and blinking images. [Priority 1]
|
blind, low vision, cognitive/learning, epilepsy |
none |
visual, braille, speech, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 3.7: Allow the user to turn on and off support for scripts and applets. [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 3.8: Allow the user to turn on and off rendering of images. [Priority 3]
|
blind, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech |
| Checkpoint 3.9: For automatic content changes specified by the author (e.g., content refresh and page forwards), allow the user to slow the rate of change. [Priority 2]
|
blind, low vision, cognitive/learning, epilepsy |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 4.1: Allow the user to configure the size of text. [Priority 1]
|
all, especially lv |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech |
| Checkpoint 4.2: Allow the user to configure font family. [Priority 1]
|
all, especially lv |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 4.3: Allow the user to configure foreground color. [Priority 1]
|
color deficit, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 4.4: Allow the user to configure background color. [Priority 1]
|
color deficit, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 4.5: Allow the user to slow the presentation rate of audio, video, and animations. [Priority 1]
|
all, blind, low vision, cognitive/learning, epilepsy |
none |
audio, visual, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 4.6: Allow the user to start, stop, pause, advance, and rewind audio, video, and animations. [Priority 1]
|
all |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 4.7: Allow the user to configure the audio volume. [Priority 2]
|
all, especially hh |
none |
audio |
| Checkpoint 4.8: Allow the user to configure the position of captions on graphical displays. [Priority 1]
|
deaf, hard of hearing, cognitive/learning, low vision |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 4.9: Allow the user to configure synthesized speech playback rate. [Priority 1]
|
all, especially bl, cognitive/learning, hard of hearing |
none |
speech |
| Checkpoint 4.10: Allow the user to configure synthesized speech volume. [Priority 1]
|
all, especially hh |
none |
speech |
| Checkpoint 4.11: Allow the user to configure synthesized speech pitch, gender, and other articulation characteristics. [Priority 2]
|
blind, low vision |
none |
speech |
| Checkpoint 4.12: Allow the user to select from available author and user style sheets or ignore them. [Priority 1]
|
all |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 4.13: Allow the user to configure how the selection is highlighted (e.g., foreground and background color). [Priority 1]
|
color deficit, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech |
| Checkpoint 4.14: Allow the user to configure how the content focus is highlighted (e.g., foreground and background color). [Priority 1]
|
color deficit, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech |
| Checkpoint 4.15: Allow the user to configure focus changes. [Priority 2]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech |
| Checkpoint 4.16: Allow the user to configure user agent initiated spawned viewports, prompts, and other windows. [Priority 2]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, speech |
| Checkpoint 5.1: Provide programmatic read and write access to content by conforming to W3C Document Object Model (DOM) specifications and exporting interfaces defined by those specifications. [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 5.2: Provide programmatic read and write access to user agent user interface controls using standard APIs (e.g., platform-independent APIs such as the W3C DOM, standard APIs for the operating system, and conventions for programming languages, plug-ins, virtual machine environments, etc.) [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 5.3: Implement selection, content focus, and user interface focus mechanisms. [Priority 1]
|
all |
all;all |
|
| Checkpoint 5.4: Provide programmatic notification of changes to content and user interface controls (including selection, content focus, and user interface focus). [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 5.5: Ensure that programmatic exchanges proceed in a timely manner. [Priority 2]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 5.6: Follow operating system conventions and accessibility settings. In particular, follow conventions for user interface design, default keyboard configuration, product installation, and documentation. [Priority 2]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 6.1: Implement the accessibility features of supported specifications (markup languages, style sheet languages, metadata languages, graphics formats, etc.). [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 6.2: Conform to W3C specifications when they are appropriate for a task. [Priority 2]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 7.1: Allow the user to navigate viewports (including frames). [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 7.2: For user agents that offer a browsing history mechanism, when the user returns to a previous viewport, restore the point of regard in the viewport. [Priority 1]
|
especially bl, low vision, physical |
all |
none |
| Checkpoint 7.3: Allow the user to navigate all active elements. [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all (or none?) |
| Checkpoint 7.4: Allow the user to choose to navigate only active elements. [Priority 2]
|
all |
all |
all (or none?) |
| Checkpoint 7.5: Allow the user to search for rendered text content, including rendered text equivalents. [Priority 2]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
all, especially sp, small/magnified screen, braille, (au-closed captions?) |
| Checkpoint 7.6: Allow the user to navigate according to structure. [Priority 2]
|
blind, low vision, physical, (co?) |
keyboard, voice |
visual, speech, braille, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 7.7: Allow the user to configure structured navigation. [Priority 3]
|
blind, low vision, physical, co? |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 8.1: Make available to the user the author-specified purpose of each table and the relationships among the table cells and headers. [Priority 1]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 8.2: Indicate to the user whether a link has been visited. [Priority 2]
|
all?, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
all? |
| Checkpoint 8.3: Indicate to the user whether a link has been marked up to indicate that following it will involve a fee. [Priority 2]
|
all?, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
all? |
| Checkpoint 8.4: Make available to the user information that will help the user decide whether to follow a link. [Priority 3]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 8.5: Provide a mechanism for highlighting and identifying (through a standard interface where available) the current viewport, selection, and content focus. [Priority 1]
|
all |
none |
all?, vi-only interfaces?) |
| Checkpoint 8.6: Make available to the user an "outline" view of content, built from structural elements (e.g., frames, headers, lists, forms, tables, etc.) [Priority 2]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 8.7: Provide a mechanism for highlighting and identifying active elements (through a standard interface where available). [Priority 2]
|
blind, low vision, physical |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 8.8: Allow the user to configure the outline view. [Priority 3]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 8.9: Allow the user to configure what information about links to present. [Priority 3]
|
blind, low vision, cognitive/learning |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 9.1: Ensure that when the selection or content focus changes, it is in a viewport after the change. [Priority 2]
|
all |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 9.2: Prompt the user to confirm any form submission triggered indirectly, that is by any means other than the user activating an explicit form submit control. [Priority 2]
|
blind, low vision, ph? |
all |
all? |
| Checkpoint 9.3: Allow the user to configure notification preferences for common types of content and viewport changes. [Priority 3]
|
blind, low vision |
none |
? |
| Checkpoint 9.4: When loading content (e.g., document, video clip, audio clip, etc.) indicate what portion of the content has loaded and whether loading has stalled. [Priority 3]
|
blind, low vision |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, ? |
| Checkpoint 9.5: Indicate the relative position of the viewport in content (e.g., the percentage of an audio or video clip that has been played, the percentage of a Web page that has been viewed, etc.). [Priority 3]
|
blind, low vision |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen, ? |
| Checkpoint 10.1: Provide information to the user about current user preferences for input configurations (e.g., keyboard or voice bindings). [Priority 1]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, physical |
keyboard, voice |
all |
| Checkpoint 10.2: Avoid default input configurations that interfere with operating system accessibility conventions. [Priority 1]
|
all |
keyboard, voice |
none |
| Checkpoint 10.3: Provide information to the user about current author-specified input configurations (e.g., keyboard bindings specified in content such as by "accesskey" in HTML 4.0). [Priority 2]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, physical |
keyboard, voice |
all |
| Checkpoint 10.4: Allow the user to change the input configuration. [Priority 2]
|
blind, low vision, physical |
keyboard, voice |
none |
| Checkpoint 10.5: Allow the user to configure the user agent so that the user's preferred one-step operations may be activated with a single input command (keystroke, voice command, etc.). [Priority 2]
|
blind, low vision, physical |
keyboard, voice |
none |
| Checkpoint 10.6: Follow operating system conventions to indicate the input configuration. [Priority 2]
|
all |
keyboard, voice |
none |
| Checkpoint 10.7: Allow the user to configure the user agent through a profile. [Priority 2]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 10.8: Provide default input configurations for frequently performed tasks. [Priority 3]
|
all, especially bl, low vision, physical |
keyboard, voice |
none |
| Checkpoint 10.9: Allow the user to configure the arrangement of graphical user agent user interface controls. [Priority 3]
|
physical, low vision, blind |
none |
visual, small/magnified screen |
| Checkpoint 11.1: Provide a version of the product documentation that conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 11.2: Document all user agent features that promote accessibility. [Priority 1]
|
all |
all |
all |
| Checkpoint 11.3: Document the default input configuration (e.g., default keyboard bindings). [Priority 1]
|
physical, blind, low vision, cognitive/learning |
keyboard, voice |
none |
| Checkpoint 11.4: In a dedicated section of the documentation, describe all features of the user agent that promote accessibility. [Priority 2]
|
all |
none |
all |
| Checkpoint 11.5: Document changes between software releases. [Priority 2]
|
all |
none |
all |
Each checkpoint links to its definition in the
User Agent Accessibility Guidelines. A tabular presentation
of this list is also available.