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Results of Questionnaire WCAG2ICT- Options for closed functionality bullets for SC 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast

The results of this questionnaire are available to anybody. In addition, answers are sent to the following email address: maryjom@us.ibm.com

This questionnaire was open from 2023-03-23 to 2023-03-29.

6 answers have been received.

Jump to results for question:

one-line description of question

1. one-line description of question

We have 3 different options for the bullets, as discussed in the 23 March meeting. Please read, review, and rank your preference for each option. If you would like some changes and / or want to provide justification for your answers, use the comments field.

Option 1: 2 bullets,
1) Software exception for displays where authors can't change colors and
2) Statement on programmatic testability vs. author's responsibility to test

1.4.11 Non-text Contrast—There are cases where applying this SC to non-web software on closed functionality products is problematic:

Products where the appearance of non-text content is determined by the hardware and not modifiable by the author (rather than determined by a user agent or platform software); such products should meet the exception for this SC.
Products with no ability to programmatically determine the foreground and background colors used by the software. This means that precise quantifiable testing cannot be performed by a third party to ensure the contrast requirement has been met. In such cases, the software author would need to confirm the color combinations used meet the contrast requirement.

Option 2: 1 bullet, 3rd party testability vs. software writer responsibility

1.4.11 Non-text Contrast—For closed products, confirmation of the contrast by 3rd parties may be difficult to do precisely since it is affected by the display hardware and the evaluator does not have access to the code or content. However, this would not be a problem for the author of the document or software writer so the SC applies as written despite problems with 3rd party reviews.

Option 3: 1 bullet, Give testing guidance

1.4.11 Non-text Contrast—Note: If the color contrast ratio cannot be measured due to system limitations (lockdown), conformance to this standard can be determined through photographing the display and using an eyedropper or other application to determine the color palette and contrast ratio.

Summary

Choice	All responders
Choice	Don’t mind	Don’t want	Ranked 1	Ranked 2	Ranked 3
Option 1: 2 bullets, 1) Software exception for displays where authors can't change colors and 2) Statement on programmatic testability vs. author's responsibility to test			5	1
Option 2: 1 bullet, 3rd party testability vs. software writer responsibility		5			1
Option 3: 1 bullet, Give testing guidance		3	1	2

Details

Responder	Option 1: 2 bullets, 1) Software exception for displays where authors can't change colors and 2) Statement on programmatic testability vs. author's responsibility to test	Option 2: 1 bullet, 3rd party testability vs. software writer responsibility	Option 3: 1 bullet, Give testing guidance	Comments
Fernanda Bonnin	Ranked 1	Don’t want	Don’t want
Sam Ogami	Ranked 1	Ranked 3	Don’t want
Phil Day	Ranked 2	Don’t want	Ranked 1
Loïc Martínez Normand	Ranked 1	Don’t want	Ranked 2	I think the best option is the first one, as it separates the two restrictions of closed systems: (1) the the authors cannot change colors and (2) that in some closed systems measuring color contrast is not feasible. In my opinion, no other option does that.
Mike Pluke	Ranked 1	Don’t want	Ranked 2
Mary Jo Mueller	Ranked 1	Don’t want	Don’t want	There is also the potential for improving the language of option 1, by simplifying the first bullet and noting the existence of related hardware requirements as well as incorporating a bit of the language from 3. The bullets could say: 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast—There are cases where applying this SC to non-web software on closed functionality products is problematic: 1. When the appearance of non-text content is determined by the hardware and not modifiable by the software author, the non-web software would meet the exception for this SC. NOTE: Hardware requirements for contrast are out of scope for WCAG2ICT (and this SC), but do exist in other standards' requirements for closed functionality products. 2. When the color contrast ratio cannot be programmatically measured due to system limitations (e.g. lockdown), precise quantifiable testing of color contrast cannot be performed by a third party. In such cases, either the software author would need to confirm the color combinations used (preferable)