[Draft] WCAG 2.0 Quick Reference

A customizable list of WCAG 2.0 requirements (success criteria) and techniques

Editor's Draft May-November 2007

Introduction

See the Overview of WCAG 2.0 Documents for an introduction to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and supporting documents.

This Quick Reference is based on the May-November 2007 WCAG 2.0 draft. It lists all of the requirements (called "success criteria") in WCAG 2.0, along with techniques to meet the requirements. You can customize this Quick Reference to list only the information that you are interested in.

To use the Quick Reference:

  • In the Customizing section below, check the technologies and conformance levels you are interested in.
  • The [Understanding Guideline x] and [Understanding Success Criterion x.x.x] links take you to the relevant section of the Understanding WCAG 2.0 document, which explains the intent of the guidelines and success criteria; provides examples and techniques; and describes how they help people with different disabilities.

Note that all techniques are informative. The "sufficient techniques" listed below are considered sufficient by the WCAG Working Group to meet the success criteria. However, it is not necessary to use these particular techniques. If techniques are used other than those listed by the Working Group, then some other method for establishing the technique's ability to meet the success criteria would be needed. In addition to the 'sufficient techniques', there are also advisory techniques that go beyond WCAG 2.0's requirements. Even content that completely conforms to WCAG will not be fully accessible to every person with a disability, especially people with language, learning, and cognitive disabilities, or multiple severe disabilities. Anyone can submit new techniques to the Working Group at any time. Please see Important New Terms Used in WCAG 2.0 for more information about sufficient techniques and advisory techniques.

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Table of Contents

WCAG 2.0 Quick Reference

Guideline 1.1 Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler languageUnderstanding Guideline 1.1

1.1.1 Non-text Content: All non-text content has a text alternative that presents equivalent information, except for the situations listed below. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.1.1

  • Controls, Input: If it is a control or accepts user input, then it has a name that describes its purpose. (See also Guideline 4.1.)

  • Media, Test, Sensory: If it is (1) synchronized media, (2) live audio-only or live video-only content, (3) a test or exercise that must be presented in non-text format, (4) primarily intended to create a specific sensory experience, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content , or (5) a media alternative to text that is clearly labeled as such . (For synchronized media, see also Guideline 1.2.)

    Note: Prerecorded audio-only and video-only files would be covered under Success Criterion 1.1.1, which requires text alternatives that present equivalent information.

  • CAPTCHA: If it is to confirm that content is being accessed by a person rather than a computer, then text alternatives that identify and describe the purpose of the non-text content are provided, and alternative forms of CAPTCHA using output modes for different types of sensory perception are provided to accommodate different disabilities.

  • Decoration, Formatting, Invisible: If it is pure decoration, or used only for visual formatting, or if it is not presented to users, then it is implemented in a way that it can be ignored by assistive technology.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.1.1 [Non-text Content] (for the technologies you checked above)
Situation A: If a short description can serve the same purpose and present the same information as the non-text content:

  1. G94: Providing short text alternative for non-text content that serves the same purpose and presents the same information as the non-text content using a short text alternative technique listed below

Situation B: If a short description can not serve the same purpose and present the same information as the non-text content (e.g. a chart or diagram):

  1. G95: Providing short text alternatives that provide a brief description of the non-text content using a short text alternative technique listed below AND one of the following techniques for long description:

Situation C: If non-text content is a control or accepts user input:

  1. G82: Providing a text alternative that identifies the purpose of the non-text content using a short text alternative technique listed below

  2. Using HTML form controls and links (future link)

  3. H44: Using label elements to associate text labels with form controls (HTML)

  4. H65: Using the title attribute to identify form controls when the label element cannot be used (HTML)

  5. Using (X)HTML according to spec (future link)

Situation D: If non-text content is synchronized media; live audio-only or live video-only content; a test or exercise that must use a particular sense; or primarily intended to create a specific sensory experience:

  1. Providing a descriptive label using a short text alternative technique listed below

  2. G68: Providing a descriptive label that describes the purpose of live audio-only and live video-only content using a short text alternative technique listed below

  3. G100: Providing the accepted name or a descriptive name of the non-text content using a short text alternative technique listed below

Situation E: If non-text content is a CAPTCHA:

  1. G143: Providing a text alternative that describes the purpose of the CAPTCHA AND G144: Ensuring that the Web Page contains another CAPTCHA serving the same purpose using a different modality

Situation F: If the non-text content should be ignored by assistive technology:

  1. Implementing or marking the non-text content so that it will be ignored by assistive technology using one of the technology-specific techniques listed below

Short text alternative techniques for use in sufficient techniques above

  1. H36: Using alt attributes on images used as submit buttons (HTML)

  2. H2: Combining adjacent image and text links for the same resource (HTML)

  3. H37: Using alt attributes on img elements (HTML)

  4. H35: Providing text alternatives on applet elements (HTML)

  5. H53: Using the body of the object element (HTML)

  6. H24: Providing text alternatives for the area elements of image maps (HTML)

  7. Providing text alternatives for strings where look-alike glyphs are used in place of letters (e.g. leetspeak) (future link)

  8. Providing text alternatives for ASCII art (future link)

Long text alternative techniques for use in sufficient techniques above

  1. H45: Using longdesc (HTML)

  2. H53: Using the body of the object element (HTML)

Advisory Techniques for 1.1.1 [Non-text Content]
General Techniques for Informative Non-Text Content (Advisory)

  • Identifying informative non-text content (future link)

  • Keeping short descriptions short (future link)

  • Describing images that include text (future link)

  • Providing a longer description of the non-text content where only a descriptive label is required using a technology-specific technique (for an accessibility-supported content technology) for long description listed above (future link)

  • Providing different sizes for non-text content when it cannot have an equivalent accessible alternative (future link)

  • Using server-side scripts to resize images of text (future link)

General Techniques for Live Non-Text Content (Advisory)

  • Linking to textual information that provides comparable information (e.g. for a traffic Webcam, a municipality could provide a link to the text traffic report.) (future link)

  • Providing a transcript of a live audio only presentation after the fact (future link)

General techniques to minimize the barrier of CAPTCHAs

  • Providing more than two modalities of CAPTCHAs (future link)

  • Providing access to a human customer service representative who can bypass CAPTCHA (future link)

  • Not requiring CAPTCHAs for authorized users (future link)

HTML Techniques (Advisory)
CSS Techniques (Advisory)

  • Using CSS margin and padding rules instead of spacer images (future link)

  • Using CSS background, :before or :after rules for decorative images instead of img elements (future link)

  • Displaying empty table cells (future link)

ARIA Techniques (Advisory)

  • Using the ARIA presentation role to indicate elements are purely presentational (future link)

Metadata techniques (Advisory)

  • Using metadata to associate text transcriptions with a video (future link)

  • Using metadata to associate text transcriptions with audio-only content (future link)

    • EXAMPLE: Providing, in metadata, URL(s) that points to an audio description and a text transcript of a video.

    • EXAMPLE: Providing, in metadata, URL(s) that point to several text transcripts (English, French, Dutch) of an audio file.

Failures for SC 1.1.1 [Non-text Content]

1.1.2 Live Audio-only: All live audio-only content has a text alternative (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.1.2

Sufficient Techniques for 1.1.2 [Live Audio-only] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. Providing a viewport to a live text service which is being created by a trained stenographer who transcribes the spoken audio with minimal errors (future link)

  2. Providing a link to a text transcript of a prepared statement or script if the script is followed (future link)

  3. G150: Providing text alternatives for live audio-only content

Advisory Techniques for 1.1.2 [Live Audio-only]
Metadata Techniques

  • Using metadata to associate text transcriptions with audio-only content (future link)

    • EXAMPLE: Providing, in metadata, URL(s) that point to several text transcripts (English, French, Dutch) of an audio file.

Guideline 1.2 Synchronized Media: Provide synchronized alternatives for synchronized mediaUnderstanding Guideline 1.2

1.2.1 Captions (Prerecorded): Captions are provided for prerecorded synchronized media, except if the synchronized media is an alternative to text and is clearly labeled as such . (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.1

Sufficient Techniques for 1.2.1 [Captions (Prerecorded)] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G93: Providing open (always visible) captions

  2. G87: Providing closed captions using any readily available media format that has a video player that supports closed captioning

  3. G87: Providing closed captions using any of the technology-specific techniques below

Advisory Techniques for 1.2.1 [Captions (Prerecorded)]

  • Providing a note saying "No sound is used in this clip" for video-only clips (future link)

  • Using SMIL 1.0 to provide captions for all languages for which there are audio tracks (future link)

  • Using SMIL 2.0 to provide captions for all languages for which there are audio tracks (future link)

Failures for SC 1.2.1 [Captions (Prerecorded)]

1.2.2 Audio Description or Full Text Alternative: Audio description of video, or a full text alternative for synchronized media including any interaction , is provided for prerecorded synchronized media. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.2

Note: For 1.2.2, 1.2.4, and 1.2.7, if all of the information in the video track is already provided in the audio track, no audio description is necessary.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.2.2 [Audio Description or Full Text Alternative] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G69: Providing a full synchronized media text alternative including any interaction

  2. G78: Providing a sound track that includes audio description as the primary sound track

  3. G78: Providing a sound track that includes audio description AND associating it with the synchronized media content using one of the following techniques:

  4. Providing audio description in its own sound track (future link) AND merging the description track with the original soundtrack of the synchronized media content at runtime using one of the following techniques

    • Using SMIL 1.0 to merge a description track with sound track (future link)

    • Using SMIL 2.0 to merge a description track with sound track (future link)

Advisory Techniques for 1.2.2 [Audio Description or Full Text Alternative]

  • Providing audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 1.0 (future link)

  • Providing audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 2.0 (future link)

1.2.3 Captions (Live): Captions are provided for live synchronized media. (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.3

Note: If synchronized media is completely computer generated, it is not live and is subject to the requirements for prerecorded synchronized media in WCAG 2.0.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.2.3 [Captions (Live)] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G9: Creating captions for live synchronized media AND G93: Providing open (always visible) captions

  2. G9: Creating captions for live synchronized media AND G87: Providing closed captions using any readily available media format that has a video player that supports closed captioning

  3. G9: Creating captions for live synchronized media AND G87: Providing closed captions using one of the following techniques:

Note: Captions may be generated using real-time text translation service.

1.2.4 Audio Description: Audio description of video is provided for prerecorded synchronized media. (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.4

Sufficient Techniques for 1.2.4 [Audio Description] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G78: Providing a sound track that includes audio description as the primary sound track

  2. G78: Providing a sound track that includes audio description AND associating it with the synchronized media content using one of the following techniques:

  3. Providing audio description in its own sound track (future link) AND merging the description track with the original soundtrack of the synchronized media content at runtime using one of the following techniques

    • Using SMIL 1.0 to merge a description track with sound track (future link)

    • Using SMIL 2.0 to merge a description track with sound track (future link)

Advisory Techniques for 1.2.4 [Audio Description]

  • Providing audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 1.0 (future link)

  • Providing audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 2.0 (future link)

  • Providing audio description for live synchronized media (future link)

Sufficient Techniques for 1.2.5 [Sign Language] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G54: Including a sign language interpreter in the video stream

  2. Providing a new page that has the video with the sign language interpretation of the audio track (future link)

  3. G81: Providing a synchronized video of the sign language interpreter that can be displayed in a different viewport or overlaid on the image by the player using one of the following techniques

Advisory Techniques for 1.2.5 [Sign Language]
Metadata Techniques

  • Using metadata to associate sign language alternatives of a video to enable choice of sign language (future link)

    • EXAMPLE: Providing, in metadata, URL(s) that point to several English sign language translations (ASL, SASL, BSL, Auslan, ISL, NZSL) of a web page.

1.2.6 Audio Description (Extended): Extended audio description of video is provided for prerecorded synchronized media. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.6

Sufficient Techniques for 1.2.6 [Audio Description (Extended)] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. Providing a second version of the movie with extended audio descriptions during halted video segments (future link)

  2. G8: Creating an extended audio description for the synchronized media content using one of the following techniques

Advisory Techniques for 1.2.6 [Audio Description (Extended)]

  • Adding extended audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 1.0 (future link)

  • Adding extended audio description in multiple languages in SMIL 2.0 (future link)

1.2.7 Full Text Alternative: A full text alternative for synchronized media including any interaction is provided for all prerecorded synchronized media, except if the synchronized media is an alternative to text and is clearly labeled as such . (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.2.7

Sufficient Techniques for 1.2.7 [Full Text Alternative] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G69: Providing a full synchronized media text alternative including any interaction using one of the following techniques

Advisory Techniques for 1.2.7 [Full Text Alternative]

Guideline 1.3 Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout ) without losing information or structureUnderstanding Guideline 1.3

1.3.1 Info and Relationships: Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.1

Sufficient Techniques for 1.3.1 [Info and Relationships] (for the technologies you checked above)
Situation A: The technology provides semantic structure to make information and relationships conveyed through presentation programmatically determinable:

  1. G115: Using semantic elements to mark up structure AND H49: Using semantic markup to mark emphasized or special text (HTML)

  2. G117: Using text to convey information that is conveyed by variations in presentation of text

  3. Separating information and structure from presentation to enable modification of presentation without altering content (future link)

  4. Making information and relationships conveyed through presentation programmatically determinable using the following techniques:

Situation B: The technology in use does NOT provide the semantic structure to make the information and relationships conveyed through presentation programmatically determinable:

  1. G117: Using text to convey information that is conveyed by variations in presentation of text

  2. Making information and relationships conveyed through presentation programmatically determinable or available in text using the following techniques:

Advisory Techniques for 1.3.1 [Info and Relationships]
Failures for SC 1.3.1 [Info and Relationships]

1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence: When the sequence in which content is presented affects its meaning, a correct reading sequence can be programmatically determined . (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.2

Sufficient Techniques for 1.3.2 [Meaningful Sequence] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G57: Ordering the content in a meaningful sequence for all the content in the Web page

  2. Marking sequences in the content as meaningful using one of the following techniques AND G57: Ordering the content in a meaningful sequence for those sequences

Advisory Techniques for 1.3.2 [Meaningful Sequence]

  • Using left-justified text for languages that are written left to right and right-justified text for languages that are written right-to-left (future link)

  • Using appropriate justification for languages that are written right-to-left (future link)

  • Providing a link to linearized rendering (future link)

  • Providing a style switcher between style sheets that affect presentation order (future link)

Failures for SC 1.3.2 [Meaningful Sequence]

1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics: Instructions provided for understanding and operating content do not rely solely on sensory characteristics of components such as shape, size, visual location, orientation or sound. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.3

Sufficient Techniques for 1.3.3 [Sensory Characteristics] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G96: Providing textual identification of items that otherwise rely only on sensory information to be understood

Advisory Techniques for 1.3.3 [Sensory Characteristics]

  • Using an image with a text alternative for graphical symbols instead of a Unicode font glyph with the desired graphical appearance but different meaning (future link)

Failures for SC 1.3.3 [Sensory Characteristics]

Guideline 1.4 Distinguishable: Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background Understanding Guideline 1.4

1.4.1 Use of Color: Color is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.1

Note 1: This success criterion addresses color perception specifically. Other forms of perception are covered in Guideline 1.3.

Note 2: Programmatic access to color and other visual presentation coding is covered in Guideline 1.3.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.4.1 [Use of Color] (for the technologies you checked above)
Situation A: If the color of particular words is used to indicate information:

  1. G14: Ensuring that information conveyed by color differences is also available in text

  2. G122: Including a text cue whenever color cues are used

  3. Ensuring that when text color differences are used to convey information, the text style is visually differentiated without color differences (future link)

  4. Conveying all information in text that is conveyed by color differences (future link)

Situation B: If color is used within an image to convey information:

  1. G111: Using color and pattern

  2. G14: Ensuring that information conveyed by color differences is also available in text

Advisory Techniques for 1.4.1 [Use of Color]
Failures for SC 1.4.1 [Use of Color]

1.4.2 Audio Control: If any audio on a Web page plays automatically for more than 3 seconds, either a mechanism is available to pause or stop the audio, or a mechanism is available to control audio volume which can be set to be a different level from the system volume level . (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.2

Note: Since any content that does not meet this success criterion can interfere with a user's ability to use the whole page, all content on the Web page (whether it is used to meet other success criteria or not) must meet this success criterion. See Conformance Requirement 5: Non-Interference.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.4.2 [Audio Control] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G60: Playing a sound that turns off automatically within three seconds

  2. Playing sounds only on user request (future link)

  3. Providing a control near the top of the Web page that turns off sounds that play automatically (future link)

  4. Providing a user interface control to pause or stop synchronized media (future link)

Advisory Techniques for 1.4.2 [Audio Control]

  • Providing a sitewide preference to turn off audio in addition to providing a control near the top of the Web page that turns off sounds that play automatically (future link)

Failures for SC 1.4.2 [Audio Control]

1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum): Text and images of text have a contrast ratio of at least 5:1, except for the following: (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3

  • Large Print: Large-scale text and large-scale images of text have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1;

  • Incidental: Text or images of text that are part of an inactive user interface component, that are pure decoration, that are incidental text in an image, or that are not visible to anyone, have no minimum contrast requirement.

Note: Success Criteria 1.4.3 and 1.4.6 can be met via a contrast control available on or from the page.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.4.3 [Contrast (Minimum)] (for the technologies you checked above)
Situation A: text is less than 18 point if not bold and less than 14 point if bold

  1. G18: Ensuring that a contrast ratio of at least 5:1 exists between text (and images of text) and background behind the text

  2. G148: Not specifying background color, not specifying text color, and not using technology features that change those defaults

Situation B: text is as least 18 point if not bold and at least 14 point if bold

  1. G145: Ensuring that a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 exists between text (and images of text) and background behind the text

  2. G148: Not specifying background color, not specifying text color, and not using technology features that change those defaults

Advisory Techniques for 1.4.3 [Contrast (Minimum)]

  • Using a higher contrast value for text that is over a patterned background (future link)

  • Using a light pastel background rather than a white background behind black text (future link)

  • Using Unicode text and style sheets instead of images of text (future link)

  • Using a higher contrast values for lines in diagrams (future link)

  • Using greater contrast level for red-black text/background combinations

  • Using colors that are composed predominantly of mid spectral components for the light and spectral extremes (blue and red wavelengths) for the dark

  • Using a light pastel background rather than a white background behind black text to create sufficient but not extreme contrast (future link)

  • Making icons using simple line drawings that meet the contrast provisions for text (future link)

  • Providing sufficient color contrast in graphs and charts (future link)

Failures for SC 1.4.3 [Contrast (Minimum)]

1.4.4 Resize text: Text (but not images of text) can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality. (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.4

Sufficient Techniques for 1.4.4 [Resize text] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G142: Using a technology that has commonly-available user agents that support zoom

  2. Ensuring that text containers resize when the text resizes AND using measurements that are relative to other measurements in the content by using one or more of the following techniques:

  3. Providing controls on the Web page that incrementally change the size of the text (future link)

  4. Providing options within the content to switch between layouts that use a variety of font sizes (future link)

Advisory Techniques for 1.4.4 [Resize text]

  • Providing large fonts by default (future link)

  • Using page-percent for container sizes (future link)

  • Avoiding scaling font sizes smaller than the user-agent default (future link)

    Note: The author won't actually know the font size, but should avoid percentage scaling that results in less than 100%

  • Avoiding justified text (future link)

  • Providing sufficient inter-line and inter-column spacing (future link)

  • Providing different sizes for non-text content when it cannot have an equivalent accessible alternative (future link)

  • Avoiding the use of text in raster images (future link)

  • Using server-side scripts to resize images of text (future link)

  • C17: Scaling form elements which contain text (CSS)

  • Ensuring that text in raster images is at least 18pt (future link)

  • Scaling text down to 50% (future link)

Failures for SC 1.4.4 [Resize text]

1.4.5 Images of Text (Limited): When the accessibility supported technologies being used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey information rather than images of text except for the following: (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.5

  • Customizable: The image of text can be visuallycustomized to the user's requirements;

  • Essential: A particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed.

Note: Logotypes (text that is part of a logo or brand name) are considered essential.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.4.5 [Images of Text (Limited)] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. Using CSS to control visual presentation of text (future link)

  2. Providing controls on the Web page that change the visual presentation of text (future link)

  3. G140: Separating information and structure from presentation so that Web pages can be presented different ways without losing information OR Separating information and structure from presentation to enable modification of presentation without altering content (future link)

Advisory Techniques for 1.4.5 [Images of Text (Limited)]
General techniques for non-text content

  1. Identifying informative non-text content (future link)

CSS Techniques

  1. C12: Using percent for font sizes (CSS)

  2. C13: Using named font sizes (CSS)

  3. C14: Using em units for font sizes (CSS)

  4. C8: Using CSS letter-spacing to control spacing within a word (CSS)

  5. C6: Positioning content based on structural markup (CSS)

  6. Avoid applying text styling to text characters within a word (future link)

  7. Changing line height (future link)

  8. Specifying the font family (future link)

  9. Changing letter-spacing (future link)

  10. Aligning text (future link)

  11. Changing the case of text (future link)

  12. Indenting paragraphs (future link)

  13. Layering text over images (future link)

  14. Italicizing text (future link)

  15. Increasing font weight of text (future link)

  16. Styling the first line of a block of text (future link)

  17. Styling the first letter of a block of text (future link)

  18. Adding a drop-shadow to text (future link)

1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced): Text and images of text have a contrast ratio of at least 7:1, except for the following: (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.6

  • Large Print: Large-scale text and large-scale images of text have a contrast ratio of at least 5:1;

  • Incidental: Text or images of text that are part of an inactive user interface component, that are pure decoration, that are incidental text in an image, or that are not visible to anyone, have no minimum contrast requirement.

Note: Success Criteria 1.4.3 and 1.4.6 can be met via a contrast control available on or from the page.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.4.6 [Contrast (Enhanced)] (for the technologies you checked above)
Situation A: text is less than 18 point if not bold and less than 14 point if bold

  1. G17: Ensuring that a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 exists between text (and images of text) and background behind the text

  2. G148: Not specifying background color, not specifying text color, and not using technology features that change those defaults

Situation B: text is as least 18 point if not bold and at least 14 point if bold

  1. G18: Ensuring that a contrast ratio of at least 5:1 exists between text (and images of text) and background behind the text

  2. G148: Not specifying background color, not specifying text color, and not using technology features that change those defaults

Advisory Techniques for 1.4.6 [Contrast (Enhanced)]

  • Using a higher contrast value for text that is over a patterned background (future link)

  • Using Unicode text and style sheets instead of images of text (future link)

  • Using a light pastel background rather than a white background behind black text (future link)

  • Using a higher contrast values for lines in diagrams (future link)

  • Using greater contrast level for red-black text/background combinations

  • Using colors that are composed predominantly of mid spectral components for the light and spectral extremes (blue and red wavelengths) for the dark

  • Using a light pastel background rather than a white background behind black text to create sufficient but not extreme contrast (future link)

  • Making icons using simple line drawings that meet the contrast provisions for text (future link)

  • Providing sufficient color contrast in graphs and charts (future link)

Failures for SC 1.4.6 [Contrast (Enhanced)]

1.4.7 Low or No Background Audio: Audio content that is not an audio CAPTCHA and that contains speech in the foreground does not contain background sounds, background sounds can be turned off, or background sounds are at least 20 decibels lower than the foreground speech content, with the exception of occasional sound effects. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.7

Note: Background sound that meets this requirement will be approximately one quarter as loud as the foreground speech content.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.4.6 [Low or No Background Audio] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G56: Mixing audio files so that non-speech sounds are at least 20 decibels lower than the speech audio content

  2. Not including audio content (future link)

Advisory Techniques for 1.4.6 [Low or No Background Audio]

  • Providing a way for users to adjust auditory levels of foreground and background sound independently (future link)

1.4.8 Visual Presentation: For the visual presentation of blocks of text, a mechanism is available to achieve the following: (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.8

  • foreground and background colors can be selected by the user

  • width is no more than 80 characters

  • text is not aligned on both the left and the right

  • line spacing is at least space-and-a-half within paragraphs, and paragraph spacing is larger than line spacing

  • text is resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent in a way that does not require the user to scroll horizontally to read a line of text

Sufficient Techniques for 1.4.7 [Visual Presentation] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. Techniques to ensure foreground and background colors can be selected by the user

    • Specifying foreground and background colors in CSS (future link) OR

    • Providing a color selection tool that allows a pastel background (future link) OR

    • Providing a multi color selection tool on the page for foreground and background colors (JavaScript, Future Link) OR

    • Using a technology that has commonly-available user agents that can change the foreground and background of blocks of text (General, future link)

  2. Techniques to ensure width is no more than 80 characters

    • Not interfering with the user agent's reflow of text as the viewing window is narrowed (General, Future Link) OR

    • Using ems to set the column width

  3. Techniques to ensure text is not aligned on both the left and the right

    • Specifying alignment in CSS (CSS) (also allows for tools that use custom stylesheets) OR

    • Providing a feature to remove full justification of text (future link) OR

    • Aligning text on only one side (according to the text-direction of the language of the content) (General, future link)

  4. Techniques to ensure line spacing is at least space-and-a-half within paragraphs, and paragraph spacing is larger than line spacing

    • Providing a button on the page to increase line spaces and paragraph spaces. (HTML, CSS, future link) OR

    • Specifying line spacing in CSS or not specifying any line spacing (HTML, CSS, future link)

  5. Techniques to ensure text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent in a way that does not require the user to scroll horizontally to read a line of text

    • Not interfering with the browser's reflow of text as the viewing window is narrowed (General, Future Link) OR

    • G146: Using liquid layout AND using measurements that are relative to other measurements in the content by using one or more of the following techniques:

    • Providing options within the content to switch between layouts that use a variety of font sizes (future link)

Advisory Techniques for 1.4.7 [Visual Presentation]

  • Using a hover effect to highlight a paragraph, list items, or table cells (HTML, CSS) (future link)

  • Presenting text in sans serif font or providing a mechanism to achieve this (CSS) (future link)

  • Using vertical (bulleted or numbered) lists rather than inline lists (future link)

  • Using upper and lower case according to the spelling conventions of the text language (future link)

  • Providing large fonts by default (future link)

  • Avoiding the use of text in raster images (future link)

  • Avoiding scaling font sizes smaller than the user-agent default (future link)

  • Providing sufficient inter-column spacing (future link)

  • Avoiding centrally aligned text (future link)

  • Avoiding chunks of italic text (future link)

  • Avoiding overuse of different styles on individual pages and in sites (future link)

  • Making links visually distinct (future link)

  • Providing expandable bullets (future link)

  • Show/hide bullet points (future link)

  • Putting an em-space or two spaces after sentences (future link)

1.4.9 Images of Text (Essential): Images of text are only used for pure decoration or where a particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.9

Note: Logotypes (text that is part of a logo or brand name) are considered essential.

Sufficient Techniques for 1.4.8 [Images of Text (Essential)] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. Using CSS to control visual presentation of text (future link)

  2. Providing controls on the Web page that change the visual presentation of text (future link)

  3. G140: Separating information and structure from presentation so that Web pages can be presented different ways without losing information OR Separating information and structure from presentation to enable modification of presentation without altering content (future link)

Advisory Techniques for 1.4.8 [Images of Text (Essential)]
General Techniques for Non-Decorative Content

  • Using server-side scripts to resize images of text (future link)

CSS Techniques

Guideline 2.1 Keyboard Accessible: Make all functionality available from a keyboard Understanding Guideline 2.1

2.1.1 Keyboard: All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes, except where the underlying function requires input that depends on the path of the user's movement and not just the endpoints. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 2.1.1

Note 1: This exception relates to the underlying function, not the input technique. For example, if using handwriting to enter text, the input technique (handwriting) requires path dependent input but the underlying function (text input) does not.

Note 2: This does not forbid and should not discourage providing mouse input or other input methods in addition to keyboard operation.

Sufficient Techniques for 2.1.1 [Keyboard] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. Ensuring keyboard control by using one of the following techniques.

    • Using HTML form controls and links (future link)

  2. G90: Providing keyboard-triggered event handlers using one of the following techniques:

Advisory Techniques for 2.1.1 [Keyboard]

  • Providing keyboard access to important links and form controls (future link)

  • Using unique letter combinations to begin each item of a list (future link)

  • Choosing the most abstract event handler (future link) (Scripting)

  • Using the onactivate event (future link) (Scripting)

  • Avoiding use of common user-agent keyboard commands for other purposes (future link)

Failures for SC 2.1.1 [Keyboard]

2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap: If keyboard focus can be moved to a component of the page using a keyboard interface, then focus can be moved away from that component using only a keyboard interface, and, if it requires more than unmodified arrow or tab keys, the user is advised of the method for moving focus away. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 2.1.2

Note: Since any content that does not meet this success criterion can interfere with a user's ability to use the whole page, all content on the Web page (whether it is used to meet other success criteria or not) must meet this success criterion. See Conformance Requirement 5: Non-Interference.

Sufficient Techniques for 2.1.2 [No Keyboard Trap] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G21: Ensuring that users are not trapped in content

2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception): All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 2.1.3

Sufficient Techniques for 2.1.3 [Keyboard (No Exception)] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. No additional techniques exist for this Success Criterion. Follow techniques for Success Criterion 2.1.1 . If that is not possible because there is a requirement for analog, time-dependent input, then it is not possible to meet this Level AAA Success Criterion.

Guideline 2.2 Enough Time: Provide users with disabilities enough time to read and use content Understanding Guideline 2.2

2.2.1 Timing Adjustable: For each time limit that is set by the content, at least one of the following is true: (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 2.2.1

  • Turn off: the user is allowed to turn off the time limit before encountering it; or

  • Adjust: the user is allowed to adjust the time limit before encountering it over a wide range that is at least ten times the length of the default setting; or

  • Extend: the user is warned before time expires and given at least 20 seconds to extend the time limit with a simple action (for example, "press the space bar "), and the user is allowed to extend the time limit at least ten times; or

  • Real-time Exception: the time limit is a required part of a real-time event (for example, an auction), and no alternative to the time limit is possible; or

  • Essential Exception: the time limit cannot be extended without invalidating the activity; or

  • 20 Hour Exception: the time limit is longer than 20 hours.

Note: This success criterion acts to ensure that changes in content or context as a result of a time limit will not occur unexpectedly, preventing users from completing tasks. While exceptions to success criterion 2.2.1 where timing is essential exist, guideline 2.2 in general limits changes in content for no reason. This success criterion should be considered in conjunction with Success Criterion 3.2.1 which puts limits on changes of content or context as a result of user action.

Sufficient Techniques for 2.2.1 [Timing Adjustable] (for the technologies you checked above)
Situation A: If there are session time limits:

  1. G133: Providing a checkbox on the first page of a multipart form that allows users to ask for longer session time limit or no session time limit

Situation B: If a time limit is controlled by a script on the page:

  1. Providing a way for the user to turn the time limit off (future link)

  2. Providing the user with a means to set the time limit to 10 times the default time limit (future link)

  3. SCR16: Providing a script that warns the user a time limit is about to expire (Scripting) AND SCR1: Allowing the user to extend the default time limit (Scripting)

Advisory Techniques for 2.2.1 [Timing Adjustable]

  • Using a script to poll the server and notify a user if a time limit is present (future link) (Scripting)

Failures for SC 2.2.1 [Timing Adjustable]

2.2.2 Pausing: Moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating information on a Web page that lasts for more than three seconds can be paused by the user unless the movement, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating is part of an activity where the changes are essential. Moving or blinking content that is pure decoration can be stopped or hidden by the user. (Level AA)Understanding Success Criterion 2.2.2

Note 1: For requirements related to flickering or flashing content, refer to Guideline 2.3.

Note 2: Since any content that does not meet this success criterion can interfere with a user's ability to use the whole page, all content on the Web page (whether it is used to meet other success criteria or not) must meet this success criterion. See Conformance Requirement 5: Non-Interference.

Note 3: Content that is updated from a process, real-time or remote stream is not required to preserve or present information that is generated or received between the initiation of the pause and resuming presentation, as this may not be technically possible, and in many situations could be misleading to do so.

Sufficient Techniques for 2.2.2 [Pausing] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G4: Allowing the content to be paused and restarted from where it was stopped

  2. Using script to scroll content, and providing a mechanism to pause it (future link)

  3. Allowing purely decorative content to be stopped (future link)

  4. G11: Creating content that blinks for less than 3 seconds

  5. Using a technology to include blinking content that can be turned off via the user agent (future link)

  6. Using a control in the Web page that stops blinking content (future link) using one of the following techniques:

Advisory Techniques for 2.2.2 [Pausing]

  • Providing a mechanism to stop all content that blinks within a Web page (future link)

  • Providing the user with a means to stop moving content even if it stops automatically within 3 seconds (future link)

Failures for SC 2.2.2 [Pausing]

2.2.3 No Timing: Timing is not an essential part of the event or activity presented by the content, except for non-interactive synchronized media and real-time events. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 2.2.3

Sufficient Techniques for 2.2.3 [No Timing] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G5: Allowing users to complete an activity without any time limit

2.2.4 Interruptions: Interruptions can be postponed or suppressed by the user, except interruptions involving an emergency. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 2.2.4

Sufficient Techniques for 2.2.4 [Interruptions] (for the technologies you checked above)

  1. G75: Providing a mechanism to postpone any updating of content

  2. Allowing users to request updates instead of automatically updating content (future link)

  3. SCR14: Using scripts to make nonessential alerts optional (Scripting)

Failures for SC 2.2.4 [Interruptions]