Techniques for Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0

ATAG Checkpoint 6.1: Document all features that promote the production of accessible content. [Priority 1]

Techniques:

• Ensure that the help system can answer the following: "What features of the tool encourage the production of accessible content?" and "How are these features used?".
• Link from help text to relevant automated correction utilities.
• Link accessibility problem identifiers (i.e., icons, outlining or other emphasis within the user interface) to help files.

ATAG Checkpoint 6.2: Ensure that creating accessible content is a naturally integrated part of the documentation, including examples. [Priority 2]

Techniques:

• Ensure all examples conform with WCAG10 (at least to the level that the tool conforms to ATAG 1.0), regardless of what the example is meant to show (this will help authors familiarize with the requirements of accessibility). >
• Provide examples of all WCAG10 accessibility requirements (including priority 2 and 3). >
• When the help files of a base tool do not meet this checkpoint, accessibility plugins could include updated files and modify the base tool's help index to point to the new files.
• When encouraging the author to use accessibility features, take a broad view. For example, do not refer to text equivalents as being "for blind authors" or label them with a "disability" icon. Instead, refer to them as being for "authors who are not viewing images". In addition, emphasize the auxiliary benefits of accessibility features.
• When explaining the accessibility issues related to non-deprecated elements, emphasize the solutions rather than explicitly discouraging the use of the element.
• For tools that include context sensitive help, implement context-sensitive help for accessibility terms as well as tasks related to accessibility.
• For tools that include tutorials, provide a tutorial on checking for and correcting Web accessibility problems.
• Include pointers to more information on accessible Web authoring, such as WCAG10 and other accessibility-related resources,
• Include current versions of, or links to relevant language specifications in the documentation. This is particularly relevant for languages that are easily hand edited, such as most XML languages [XML].
• Document the tool's conformance to ATAG 1.0 [ATAG10] and include a link to its ATAG conformance evaluation

ATAG Checkpoint 6.3: In a dedicated section, document all features of the tool that promote the production of accessible content. [Priority 3]

Techniques:

• Ensure that the help system of the tool includes the documentation required by ATAG 6.1 in a dedicated section.
• The dedicated section could be prefaced by an introduction that explains the importance of accessibility for a wide range of users, from those with disabilities to those with alternative viewers.

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