WCAG 2 Requirements

Primarily Guideline 2.4 - Navigable: Provide ways to help users navigate, find content and determine where they are:

• Success Criterion 2.4.1 - Bypass Blocks: A mechanism is available to bypass blocks of content that are repeated on multiple Web pages (Level A)
• Success Criterion 2.4.2 - Page Titled: Web pages have titles that describe topic or purpose (Level A)
• Success Criterion 2.4.3 - Focus Order: If a Web page can be navigated sequentially and the navigation sequences affect meaning or operation, focusable components receive focus in an order that preserves meaning and operability (Level A)
• Success Criterion 2.4.4 - Link Purpose (In Context): The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone, or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context, except where the purpose of the link would be ambiguous to users in general (Level A)
• Success Criterion 2.4.5 - Multiple Ways: More than one way is available to locate a Web page within a set of Web pages except where the Web Page is the result of, or a step in, a process (Level AA)
• Success Criterion 2.4.6 - Headings and Labels: Headings and labels describe topic or purpose (Level AA)
• Success Criterion 2.4.7 - Focus Visible: Any keyboard operable user interface has a mode of operation where the keyboard focus indicator is visible (Level AA)
• Success Criterion 2.4.8 - Location: Information about the user's location within a set of Web pages is available (Level AAA)
• Success Criterion 2.4.9 - Link Purpose (Link Only): A mechanism is available to allow the purpose of each link to be identified from link text alone, except where the purpose of the link would be ambiguous to users in general (Level AAA)
• Success Criterion 2.4.10 - Section Headings: Section headings are used to organize the content (Level AAA)

Excercises

Compare the navigation and orientation mechanisms on these two demo pages:

• Demo: Inaccessible Home Page
• Demo: Accessible Home Page

Conclusions

• Separate pages into manageable parts
• Provide navigation cues and features
• Describe links and functions properly
• Support multiple ways for navigation

Note: this is primarily a matter of information architecture.

Questions?

Quick clarification questions welcome now.
Next: Visual Design and Styling.