Copyright © 2003 W3C ® (MIT, ERCIM, Keio), All Rights Reserved. W3C liability, trademark, document use and software licensing rules apply.
NOTICE:
This draft is the fourth in a series of reorganization proposals, in an attempt to provide a PLAIN LANGUAGE VERSION of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0
Last updated October 30, 2003 by: Katie Haritos-Shea
W3C published the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) as a Recommendation in May 1999. This Working Draft for version 2.0 builds on WCAG 1.0. It has the same aim: to explain how to make Web content accessible to people with disabilities and to define target levels of accessibility. By incorporating feedback received on WCAG 1.0, the Working Group decided that this Working Draft of version 2.0 should focus on checkpoints. WCAG 2.0 applies the checkpoints to a wider range of technologies and uses wording that is expected to be better understood by a broader audience.
This document is an editors' copy that has no official standing.
This document is prepared by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG) to show how more generalized (less HTML-specific) WCAG checkpoints mightread. This draft is not yet based on consensus of the WCAG Working Group nor has it gone through the W3C document process. This Working Draft in no way supersedes WCAG 1.0.
Please refer to "Issue Tracking for WCAG 2.0 Working Draft" for a list of open issues related to this Working Draft. The "History of Changes to WCAG 2.0 Working Drafts" is also available.
This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced, or made obsolete by newer documents . It is inappropriate to use W3C Working Drafts as reference material or to cite them as other than "work in progress". A list of current W3C Recommendations and other technical documents is available.
The Working Group welcomes comments on this document at public-comments-wcag20@w3.org. The archives for this list are publicly available. Archives of the WCAG WG mailing list discussions are also publicly available.
Patent disclosures relevant to this specification may be found on the WCAG Working Group's patent disclosure page in conformance with W3C policy.
This document has been produced as part of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). The goals of the WCAG WG are discussed in the Working Group charter. The WCAG WG is part of the WAI Technical Activity.
WCAG 2.0...........
These are the folks that benefit.............from:
The few terms defined in this Section were chosen specifically to help you in navigating this document, as well as to give a quick overall idea of some of the key points necessary to understand and implement these Principles.
The complete Glossary for WCAG 2.0 is located at the bottom of this document. Terms here were referenced from:
Text equivalents are directly associated with non-text content, except when the non-text content is intended to create a specific sensory experience (for example, music without words, visual art)
The text equivalent fulfills the same function as the author intended for the non-text content (that is, it conveys all of the intended information and achieves the same function as the non-text content).
Non-text content that is designed to create a specific sensory experience (such as music without words or visual art) is associated with a text label and a text description.
A collated transcript that merges transcripts of all audio descriptions and captions into a single text document that provides dialog, important sounds and important visual information is provided
People who are blind, have low vision, have cognitive disabilities or have trouble reading text for any reason can have the text read aloud to them by assistive technology.
People who are deaf, are hard-of-hearing or who are having trouble understanding the audio information for any reason can read the text presentation or have it translated and presented as sign language by assistive technology.
People who are blind or deaf-blind can read the text in Braille
Example 1: An image used as a button. (short equivalent to explain function)
A right arrow icon is used to link to the next slide in a slide show. The text equivalent is "Next Slide," so that a screen reader would read the phrase "Next Slide." And automatically identify it as a link by adding the word link or changing voice.
Example 2: A data chart. (short label + longer description)
A bar chart compares how many widgets were sold in June, July, and August. The short label says, "Figure one - Sales in June, July and August." The longer description identifies the type of chart or graph, provides a high-level summary of the data comparable to that available from the chart or graph, and provides the data itself in a table or other accessible format.
Example 3: An animation. (short label + longer description)
An animation shows how to tie a knot. The short label says, "An animation showing how to tie a square knot." The longer explanation describes the hand movements needed to tie the knot.
Example 4: An audio file of a speech. (short label + transcript)
An audio file is embedded in a Web page. The short label says, "Chairman's speech to the assembly." A link to a text transcript is provided immediately after the clip.
Example 5: An audio file of a symphony. (short label)
An audio file is embedded in a Web page. The short label says, "Beethoven's 5th Symphony performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra."
EDITORS NOTE:
(js 10/24) Query: The proposed wording for 1.1 would require a text label
and description here. I agree that requiring a description is probably
too much. Do we need to change the Principle to leave room for judgment
about when a description would be required?
EDITORS NOTE:
(06/10/03) There is discussion about moving some of the current success
criteria from Required to Best Practice or to an Extended checkpoint. The
issue stems from trying to apply the success criteria to every Web cam,
newscast, and home broadcast. Another approach is to allow a conformance
claim to state, for example, "All pages and
applications on this site meet the Core checkpoints of WCAG 2.0
except the Web cam at http://example.org/webcam/."
An audio description is provided for on-screen events that are not identified in the soundtrack and are essential to understanding the presentation.
All significant dialogue and sounds are captioned
Exception:
If the Web content is real-time and audio-only and not time-sensitive and
not interactive a transcript or other non-audio equivalent is
sufficient.
EDITORS NOTE:
JS & KHS: This exception also applies to item 3, so we
inserted it
Descriptions and captions are synchronized with the events they represent.
Exception:
If the Web content is real-time and audio-only and not time-sensitive and
not interactive a transcript or other non-audio equivalent is
sufficient.
If the Web content is real-time video with audio, real-time captions are provided unless the content:
is a music program that is primarily non-vocal
If the Web content is real-time non-interactive video
(for example,
a Webcam view of surrounding conditions such as weather
infromation), one of the following is provided:
If a presentation containing only audio or only video requires users to respond interactively at specific times in the presentation, then a time-synchronized equivalent (audio, visual or text) presentation is provided.
EDITORS NOTE:
This whole Checkpoint (1.2) needs reworking. Perhaps move some down
from above, or limit the items above to just certain classes of content -
and then put the rest of the coverage (for other types of content) here.
Synchronized captions and audio descriptions are provided for all live broadcasts
The presentation does not require the user to read captions and follow the visual presentation simultaneously
People who are deaf or have a hearing loss can access the auditory information through the captions.
People who are blind or have low vision as well as those with cognitive disabilities who have difficulty interpreting visually what is happening benefit from the audio descriptions of visual information that is required to understand the presentation.
People in noisy environments or environments with muted sound often rely on captions.
Captions help many people to develop language and reading skills
Audio descriptions provide visual information for people who are temporarily looking away from the video presentation such as, for example, when following an instructional video and looking at their hands
Captions and text descriptions make it possible to index and search media files.
NOTE:
Time-dependent
presentations that require people to use a single sense to follow two
or more things at the same time may present significant barriers to some
users. Depending on the nature of the presentation, it may be possible to
avoid scenarios where, for example, a deaf
user would be required to watch an action on the screen and read the
captions at the same time. However, this may not be available for live
broadcasts (for example, a football game). Where possible
(especially for education and training materials), content that it does
not require tracking multiple simultaneous events with the same sense,
or, give the user the ability to freeze the video so that captions can be
read without missing the video.
Example 1: A movie clip with audio description and captions.
A clip from a movie is published on a Web site. In the clip, a child is trying to attract a puppy to the child's bedroom by laying a trail of crumbs. The child mumbles inaudibly to himself as he lays the trail. When not watching the video, it is not obvious that he is laying a trail of crumbs since the soundtrack includes only the child's mumbling. The audio description that is interspersed with the child's mumbling says "Charlie puts a crumb on each stair leading to his room." The caption that appears as he mumbles is, "[inaudible mumbling]."
Example 2: A video clip of a news story.
A video clip accompanies a news story about the recent flooding in a major city. The reporter describes what is seen, for everyone. No audio description is necessary. The captions display what the reporter is saying.
Example 3: A silent animation.
An animation shows a pantomime climbing a ladder. There is no audio track for this animation. No captions or audio description are required. Instead, a text equivalent is provided as described in checkpoint 1.1.
Data models or markup are used to enable assistive technology to recognize the following:
the following can be derived programmatically (that is through markup or a data model which is compatible with assistive technology) from the content without requiring user interpretation of presentation.
hierarchical elements and relationships, such as headings, paragraphs and lists
non-hierarchical relationships between elements such as cross-references and linkages, associations between labels and controls, associations between table cells and their headers, etc.
emphasis on specific words and phrases
Any information presented through color is also available without color (for example through context or markup or coding that does not dependent on color). [I#317]
Text is not presented over a background image or pattern, or if a background image or pattern is present the the text is easily readable when the page is viewed in black and white..
Information presented using color is also available without color , for example through context or markup or coding that does not depend on color.[I#317]
Blinking content can be turned off.
Separating content and structure from presentation allows Web pages to be presented differently to meet the needs and constraints of different users without losing any of the information or structure. For example, text that was originally intended to be presented visually can be presented via speech or braille.
Separating content and structure from presentation can also facilitate automatic emphasis of structure or more efficient navigation
All of these can benefit people with cognitive, physical, hearing, and visual disabilities.
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/24: We need to rewrite these bene3fits from the standpoint of the
people they benefit
Example 1: A multi-column document.
A document is marked up with headings, paragraphs and other structural features. It is presented visually in three columns. The markup that creates the columns is separate from the markup that specifies the structural features of the document.
Example 2: a scrolling list of stock prices.
Current stock prices are scrolled horizontally across the screen. The data are separate from the methods used to scroll the text across the page.
Example 3: A 3-dimensional site map.
A custom interface uses a data source to generate three-dimensional visualizations of the pages on a site and how they relate to one another, from a data source. Hierarchical relationships, groupings, cross-references, etc. are defined in the data source so that alternate interfaces that expose the structure of the site in an accessible way could be rendered (from the same data source). (See also checkpoint 4.3)
Example 4: A list that allows users to sort information on a page according to preference.
A script allows a user to rearrange a listing of music files by date, artist, genre, or file size. The script updates both the structure and the presentation a ppropriately when generating alternate views.
EDITORS NOTE:
The CKW reorganization suggested that this checkpoint be combined with
checkpoint 3.2. [js 10/28: if the proposed
rewording for Guideline 1.4 is accepted by WCAG WG, the CKW recommendation
will not work.] [I#442]
Text is provided in Unicode or information is available in metadata that enables automatic conversion to Unicode.
Abbreviations and acronyms are clearly identified each time they occur if they are identical to a word in the document’s language that could also logically appear in the same case (for example all capital letters). (See also checkpoint 3.1) [I#341]
Symbols such as diacritic marks that are found in standard usage of the natural language of the content, and that are necessary for unambiguous identification of words, are present, or another standard mechanism for disambiguation is provided.
People with learning disabilities and cognitive impairments, and people using refreshable Braille displays and speech synthesizers, benefit from precise identification of letters and words. Promoting unambiguous decoding of characters and words in content is also helpful for individuals who are learning to read or learning a second language.
Example 1: An acronym in a page title.
In the following heading, "People of the W3C." the acronym "W3C" is marked as an acronym. Because it has been marked properly, the user agent would be able to speak the letters of the acronym one at a time rather than attempting to pronounce it as though it were a word.
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/24: This doesn't make sense. JAWS pronounces "W Three C" because it
can't parse "W3C" as a word; tagging it as an <acronym> has nothing
to do with it. A better example might be
<acronym title="Flawn Academic Center">FAC</acronym>, where
JAWS would otherwise pronounce "fack" because the three letters can be
sounded together in English. But what we really need here is an example of an acronym that is also a regular word.
For example, <acronym title="House of
Independent Democratic Executives">HIDE</acronym> And we need an
example of something where diacritics
matter, e.g., in Hebrew or other language where the Unicode mapping can
be demonstrated
Structural elements can be recognized by their visual appearance, auditory characteristics, or both.
Structural emphasis is evident on multiple display devices, (for example, black and white monitors, small screens, monaural audio playback devices, etc.).
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/25: had to delete "visual" because it's incompatible with the
reference to mono audio playback
the structural emphases are chosen to be distinct on different major visual display types (for example black and white, small display, mono audio playback).
Content is constructed so that users can change the visual appearance or auditory properties of structural elements.
Content is constructed such that users can control the presentation of structural elements or the emphasis on the structure can be varied through alternate presentation formats.
To emphasize structure visually, use font variations, styles, and sizes in addition to white space, color, and graphics.
OLD 1. for visual presentations, font variations,
styles, size and white space can be used to emphasize structure
OLD 2. color and graphics can be used to emphasis structure
To emphasize structure audibly, use different voice characteristics and other sounds to indicate section headings and other structural elements.
for auditory presentations, different voice characteristics and/sounds can be used for major headings, sections and other structural elements.
If the default presentation of the structure is not distinct enough to meet the needs of a specific user group within the audience for the content, then additional graphics, colors, sounds, and other aspects of presentation can be used to emphasize the structure.
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/25: Do we want to say, "… then an alternate presentation that
features additional graphics, etc."? or are we recommending changes to
the default presentation?
if content is targeted for a specific user group and the presentation of the structured content is not obvious enough to meet the needs of your audience, additional graphics, colors, sounds, and other aspects of presentation can be used to emphasize the structure.
Presentation that emphasizes structure:
enables users with cognitive and visual disabilities to orient themselves within the content;
enables all users to move quickly through the content and notice major divisions;
enables all users, and especially users with visual or cognitive disabilities, to focus on important content; and
enables all users, and especially users with visual or cognitive disabilities, to distinguish different types of content.
Example 1: Visual and auditory presentation of structure in documentation for a product
Changes in font and auditory emphasis let users see or hear the logical hierarchy of the text. For example, headings for major sections appear in a larger, bolder font than headings of subsections and are spoken in a lower-pitched voice. Extended quotations are indented from the left and right margins, and short beeps indicate where the quotations begin and end. Other tones identify keystrokes to be entered by the user, which are separated from the body text and shown in a different font; text boxes that highlight additional tips have a shaded background and a characteristic background sound; etc.
These visual and auditory cues help users understand the document hierarchy and the relationships among different elements.
Example 1: documentation for a product.
Identifying chapters in the creation of a book is considered an appropriate way of labeling the book's structure. Within the chapters, headings identify (label) changes in context and highlight ideas contained in the following text. Subtle differences between the appearance of the chapter title and the section headings helps the user understand the hierarchy and relationship between the title and headings. The only difference might be font size and margin indentation when presented visually, and spoken in a difference voice or preceded by a sound when presented auditorily.
Example 2: A data table.
Groups of rows and columns are identified as headers.
Groups of rows or columns are labeled with headers.
EDITORS NOTE:
khs 10/30: This old #3 below is now covered in #1
Example 3: an audio presentation.
An audio rendering of a document, generated according to a style sheet, uses a different, more formal voice to read titles and headers so the listener can easily identify the words as a title and not part of the running text.
When displaying text against a background, provide a method to make the contrast between foreground and background greater than ____ as measured by ____.
text that is presented over a background color or grayscale has a mechanism that allows the text to be presented in a fashion that has a contrast greater than ______ between text and background color as measured by ______.[I#344]
When text content is presented over a background image or pattern, the text is easily readable when the page is viewed on a monitor that supports 256 shades of gray.
when text content is presented over a background image or pattern, the text is easily readable when the page is viewed in 256 grayscale.
EDITORS NOTE:
this item may be moved or updated if the proposal for adding an
extended checkpoint on color is accepted.
When in default presentation mode the text content is presented over a background image or pattern, the text is easily readable when the page is viewed on a monitor that supports 256 shades of gray.
this item should read identically to the required item #2, except that it should say "in default presentation mode."
EDITORS NOTE:
The working group is seeking an algorithm that measures contrast
in a way that is accurate and testable enough that we could include it in
the Principles. One algorithm, which comes from the Techniques For Accessibility Evaluation
And Repair Tools document, is currently under consideration for
inclusion in the techniques, but the group has not yet found something
that is specific enough to be included at the Principles level.
Individuals with low vision can easily make out characters in the content even if they don't have the wide field of view or full range of color perception used by fully sighted persons to separate text from background images.
Individuals with cognitive or attentional disorders who have difficulty separating foreground from background may find it easier to locate important information.
Example 1: A background image on a page.
A background image and text are arranged so that there is no image behind the text or the image is so faint that the difference between the text and the darkest part of the image meets the requirements of this checkpoint. The image behind the text does not contain lines that might interfere with character recognition.
A background image and text are arranged so that there is no image behind the text or the image is so faint that the difference between the darkest part of the image and the text (which is dark) meets the standard foreground/background contrast requirements. The image behind the text also does not contain lines that are about the same width as the characters so they do not interfere with character recognition.
Audio content does not contain background sounds OR the background sounds are at least 20 decibels lower than the foreground audio content.
audio content does not contain background sounds OR the background sounds are at least 20 db lower than the foreground audio content.
NOTE:
A 20 decibels (db) difference in sound level is roughly 4 times quieter
(or louder). Background sound that meets this requirement will be
approximately four times (4x) quieter than the foreground audio
content.
People with hearing impairments that limit their ability to hear speech at all frequencies can recognize the main audio content without interference from background noise.
Individuals with hearing impairments that limit their ability to hear all of the frequencies of speech can make out the words from the sounds they can hear because they are not mixed with residual sounds from the music.
People who do not have access to a text transcript can hear and understand audio presentations.
People with limited knowledge of the language of the audio content will find it easier to understand spoken material.
Example 1: Speech over background sounds
A video clip shows two people talking at a political meeting. In the soundtrack, their dialog is clearly audible and understandable above the buzz of other conversations in the background.
Example 1: A background image on a page.
A background image and text are arranged so that there is no image behind the text or the image is so faint that the difference between the darkest part of the image and the text (which is dark) meets the standard foreground/background contrast requirements. The image behind the text also does not contain lines that are about the same width as the characters so they do not interfere with character recognition.
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/26: I modified the example (a) to make it concrete and (b) to
eliminate the potentially confusing reference to captions
Example 2: A broadcast of a sporting event
The commentators' description of the action is clearly audible against the background cheers of the spectators.
Example 2: Speech over background sounds.
Because speech is often naturally mixed with background sounds (movies, live news etc) and cannot be easily removed or separated, captions are provided (under checkpoint 1.2) to make dialog understandable. However not all people can see or read the captions. Where speech is mixed or recorded so that it is at least 20 db above any background sounds people do not need to rely on captions to understand the dialog.
Important information is provided in content or through markup as well as color.
People who do not perceive some colors can use other cues to recognize content.
People for whom certain colors have specific cultural meaning will be able to recognize different types of content based on other cues.
Example 1: A form that includes both required and optional fields
Labels for required fields are shown in red and include an asterisk
Example 2: Results of an online examination
Incorrect responses are preceded by a blue, bell-shaped icon and grouped under a heading that reads, "Incorrect responses." Correct answers are grouped under a heading that reads, "Correct responses" and each response is preceded by a gold icon in the shape of a star.
Example 3: A bus schedule
Listings for morning and afternoon times use different background colors. Standard abbreviations are used or times are shown in 24-hour format (for example, 2:34pm or 14:24).
Example 4: **
[Something that uses culturally specific color associations, e.g., some Asian cultures use white as a symbol of death while some Western societies assign that meaning to the color black.]
All of the functionality of the content, where the functionality or its outcome can be expressed in words,is operable through a keyboard or keyboard interface
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/26: Do we have examples of a function or outcome that cannot be
expressed in words? If not, we should strike the phrase.
all of the functionality of the content, where the functionality or its outcome can be expressed in words, is operable at a minimum through a keyboard or keyboard interface.
NOTE:
Refer to checkpoint 4.3 for
information regarding user agent support.
Wherever the technology used to provide functionality supports a choice among event handlers, the handler for the more abstract event is used
wherever a choice between event handlers is available and supported, the more abstract event is used.
Individuals who cannot use pointing devices can use a keyboard or keyboard interface to access the functionality of the Web content
Individuals who are blind(and cannot use pointing devices) can have access to the functionality of the Web content or site.
Individuals with severe physical disabilities can use speech input (which emulates keystrokes) to both enter data and operate interface elements.
Individuals with severe physical disabilitiescan use speech input (which simulates keystrokes) to both enter data and operate the interface elements on the page.
Example 1: Operation with multiple input devices.
The content relies only on focus-in, focus-out, and activation events; these are defined in the API of the environment for which the content is written, and are intended to be operable by a variety of input devices, including pointing devices, keyboards and speech input systems.
Example 1: Examples of Web content that would and would not be operable from a keyboard or keyboard interface
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/26: we need concrete examples for each of the scenarios listed
below
If it's written to be operable from a computer keyboard, it conforms. (because it is operable from the keyboard.)
If it's written to be used on a device that doesn't usually have a keyboard such as a cell phone and but it can be controlled by an optional keyboard for that device, it conforms. (A person who needs a keyboard - or alternate keyboard - can use it to control the application.)
If it's written to be used with a device that doesn't have a keyboard, but it could also be used by similar devices that do and it would work with their keyboard, it conforms. (A person who needs a keyboard would not buy the device without the keyboard. That device may itself not be considered accessible. But the content can be controlled from a device with a keyboard and therefore conforms to this checkpoint.)
If it's written to work with devices that do not have keyboards and it can not be used by any other devices that do have keyboards, then it does not conform. (It cannot be accessed via keyboard.)
Content is designed so that time limits are not an essential part of interaction, or at least one of the following is true for each interaction for which a time limit has been set:
content is designed so that time limits are not an essential part of interaction or at least one of the following is true for each time limit:
the user is allowed to deactivate the time limits;
the user is allowed to adjust the time limit over a wide range which is at least ten times the length of the default setting
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/26: deleted because there's no way for most developers to
determine this
or the user is allowed to adjust the time limit over a wide range which is at least ten times or default setting or average user's preference,
the user is warned before time expires and given at least 10 seconds to extend the time limit
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/26: 10 seconds isn't long enough. MS Windows used to give you
15 seconds to accept changes to the Display control panel, and it
wasn't long enough to let me listen to the entire dialog and then tab
to the OK button.
or the user is warned before time expires and given at least 10 seconds to extend the time limit,
the time limit is due to a real-time event (for example an auction) and no alternative to the time limit is possible,
or the time limit is part of a competitive activity where timing is an essential part of the activity (for example competitive gaming; an online test must be completed within a set time and the test administrator can increase the time limit for people with disabilities who are legally entitled to additional time).
Moving content can be permanently or temporarily stopped using the keyboard
any moving content can be frozen using the keyboard[I#325]
People with reading disabilities, cognitive disabilities, and learning disabilities often need more time than most people to read and comprehend written text.
People with reading disabilities, cognitive disabilities, and learning disabilities often need more time than most people to read and comprehend written text.
People with low vision who use screen magnification software benefit from improved ability to track content that moves.
People with physical disabilities might not be able to move quickly or accurately enough to interact with moving objects.
People who do not see well, people who cannot read quickly or follow rapidly changing events, and people with limited use of their hands benefit from the ability to extend the length of time when information and interactive options are available
Content that is updated often might not be processed and read in time or in the proper order by an assistive technology or voice browser.
Content that requires comprehension or a response within a timed interval:
Examples of content that requires user understanding or a response within a timed interval:
automatic refresh
redirection
blinking or scrolling text
dialog that disappears after a short period
shutdown or deactivation of page if activity is not received in a set amount of time
Example 1: Blinking text
Client-side scripting is used to create blinking text. The Users can select an option to turn off the blinking throughout the site.
Client-side scripting is used to create blinking text. The user can deactivate the use of scripting in his or her browser or override the use of scripts with a user style sheet.
Example 2: A news site that is updated regularly
A news site causes its front page to be updated every 30 minutes. The front page contains minimal text and primarily consists of links to content. A user who does not wish the page to update selects a checkbox. The checkbox is in the "user preferences" portion of the site which is one of the first links on each page.
A news site causes its front page to be updated every 1/2 hour. The front page contains minimal text and primarily consists of links to content. A user who does not wish the page to update selects a checkbox. The checkbox is in the "user preferences" portion of the site which is one of the first links on each page.
Example 3: A multiple-choice test
An online examination is scheduled to last 50 minutes. The administrator changes the time to 75 minutes to accommodate a student with a learning disability. Other students must still complete the test in 50 minutes
An online banking site limits each session to 15 minutes. The Webmaster increases the time limit for a customer with cerebral palsy.
EDITORS NOTE:
(06/10/03) This Checkpoint is currently included in the Core set of
Checkpoints because the WCAG WG expects that it will be possible to test
content for flicker and the result will be a flicker rate in Hz that can be
stored in a machine-readable format. If the assumption regarding a testing
tool does not hold at time of final review of these Principles, this
checkpoint will be moved to the Extended set of Checkpoints."
At least one of the following is true:
content was not designed to flicker (or flash) in the range of 3 to 49 Hz (3-49 times per second).
content was not designed to flicker (or flash) in the range of 3 to 49 Hz.
if flickering content must be used, users are warned of the flicker before they go to the page, and are informed that an alternative version has been provided which approximates the original version as closely as possible without flickering.
if flicker is unavoidable, the user is warned of the flicker before they go to the page, and as close a version of the content as is possible without flicker is provided.
EDITORS NOTE:
We would like to include a third criteria here that would state
that a test that was conducted and the pages passed. No test or tool
exists yet though. We're looking into how such a test and/or tool might
be designed.
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/26: These "best practice measures" seem almost identical to the success
criteria listed above
animation or other content does not visibly or purposely flicker between 3 and 49 Hz.
content that might create a problem has been tested [using XYZ tool]; only pages with unavoidable flicker remain and appropriate warnings along with a close alternative presentation have been provided for these pages.
Individuals with photosensitive epilepsy can have seizures triggered by flickering or flashing in the 3 to 49 flashes per second (Hertz) range with a peak sensitivity at 20 flashes per second.
Individuals who are easily distracted may not be able to focus on page content with flicker occurring in the same visual field.
EDITORS NOTE:
The CKW reorganization proposed that all of the items in required be
removed and proposed a rewording of the item in best practice that addressed
logical, linear reading order. [I#441]
In documents containing more than 50,000 words or sites larger than 50 perceived pages, at least one of the following is provided.
Markup to identify hierarchical structure and other, non-hierarchical relationships such as cross-references, internal links, etc.
hierarchical structure mark up
Table of Contents
Table of contents (or site map)
Site Map
Alternate display orders
Alternate display orders (or alternate site navigation mechanisms)
Alternate site navigation mechanisms
Large blocks of material that are repeated on multiple pages, such as navigation menus with more than 7 links, site banners, etc., can be bypassed by people who use screen readers or who navigate via keyboard or keyboard interface.
Users are able to skip over large blocks of repetitive material, navigational bars or other blocks of links that are greater than 7 when reading with a synthesizer or navigating using keyboard. [I#323]
the content has been reviewed, taking into account the following strategies for facilitating orientation and movement and applying them as appropriate.
breaking up text into logical paragraphs
dividing documents, especially very long ones, into hierarchical sections and subsections with clear and informative titles
providing hierarchical sections and titles, particularly for longer documents
Supplying a unique and informative titles, particularly for longer documents for each page or resource that can be accessed independently (for example, from a Search Results page)
revealing important non-hierarchical relationships, such as cross-references, or the correspondence between header and data cells in a data table, so that the relationships are represented unambiguously in the markup or data model
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/27: I don't understand the relationship between "revealing"
relationships and representing them in the markup. Who wo what does
the revealing, and how?]
revealing important non-hierarchical relationships, such as cross-references, or the correspondence between header and data cells in a table, so that they are represented unambiguously in the markup or data model
dividing very large works into sections and or chapters with logical labels
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/26: seems redundant with B, above
others?
information is provided that would allow an assistive technology to determine at least one logical, sequence in which to read a document.
information is provided that would allow an assistive technology to determine at least one logical, linear reading order.
diagrams are constructed in a fashion so that they have structure that can be accessed by the users can access
EDITORS NOTE:
js 10/26: Does this belong somewhere under Principle 1, since it seems to
have more to do with making structure perceivable than making it
operable? Or should we revise this to bring out the operable
characteristics of the diagram?
diagrams are constructed in a fashion so that they have structure that can be accessed by the user.
logical tab order has been created where possible
where possible, logical tab order has been created.I#319]
When the logical structure is provided in markup or a data model,
Users with physical disabilities can use structure to more easily jump between paragraphs, chapters, sections etc.
Users with cognitive disabilitiescan use structure (chapter titles, headers, etc.) to provide more context for the text that follows them. They also provide warning of a change in context and reorient the user to the new focus.
Users with blindnessor low vision can jump from header to header to get an overview or to more quickly "skim" to the section they are interested in.
Readers with low vision can sometimes (depending on display technology) change how chapter titles and headers are displayed to make them more visible -and easier to use when skimming the document.
the content can be presented on a variety of devices because the device software can choose only those elements of the content that it is able to display and display them in the most effective way for that device.
Providing different navigation mechanisms can provide a better match between different people's skills, background knowledge, visual vs. text orientation, and the type of information they are seeking at the moment.
Individuals with cognitive disabilities may find it easier to ask for what they want than to deduce its location from categorical choices.
Individuals with low vision or blindness may find search techniques that fetch everything that relates to a topic of interest to be easier than techniques that require them to scan lists or pages for the items.
Example 1: A physics dissertation
A dissertation contains well-defined sections such as "Abstract," "Table of Contents," "Chapter 1," etc. The pieces in each section (paragraphs, subheadings, quotes) are denoted with structural markup.
Example 2: A scalable image of a bicycle
Lines and a circle (spokes and rim) are grouped into a "wheel." Lines in a triangle that attach to each wheel are grouped into a "frame."
Example 3: User interface.
User interface controls are divided into organized groups.
EDITORS NOTE:
The CKW proposal suggested that this required success criterion be
combined with one of the best practice items and that another best practice
item be moved up. [I#440]
if an error is detected, feedback is provided to the user identifying the error (in an accessible form that meets core checkpoints).
where possible, the user is allowed to select from a list of options as well as to generate input text directly
errors are identified specifically and suggestions for correction are provided where possible
checks for misspelled words are applied and correct spellings are suggested when text entry is required.
where consequences are significant and time-response is not important, one of the following is true
actions are reversible
where not reversible, actions are checked for errors in advance
where not reversible, and not checkable, a confirmation is asked before acceptance
Individuals with writing disabilities and people with dyslexiaoften have difficulty writing text in forms or other places that need text input.
Individuals with speech disabilities might not be recognized properly in voice input applications.
passages or fragments of text occurring within the content that are written in a language other than the primary natural language of the content as a whole, are identified, including specification of the language of the passage or fragment.
NOTE:
Foreign words or phrases that are found in standard unabridged dictionaries for the natural language of the content do not need to be marked.
This success criterion applies only to foreign words, not to imaginary words, dialect abbreviations and other words that may not be found in an unabridged dictionary of the primary language but that are not foreign words.
[???] document attributes identify the natural language of the document.
EDITORS NOTE:
In techniques discussion, it has been argued that language attributes
for documents are as important as identifying changes in language within
documents. Moving it up here for future discussion.
Phrases from various languages, acronyms and abbreviations are often interspersed in writing. When these phrases are identified, a speech synthesizer can voice text with the appropriate accent and pronunciation. When they are not identified, the speech synthesizer will use the default accent and pronunciation of the language on the rest of the page, which can make the phrase unintelligible. Identifying changes in language and marking abbreviations nd acronyms as such will also allow a tool to ask for automatic translations of that content. When editing content, authoring tools can switch between appropriate spelling dictionaries.
In the following sentence, "And with a certain je ne sais quoi, she entered both the room, and his life, forever." the French phrase "je ne sais quoi" is marked as French. Depending on the markup language, English may either be marked as the language for the entire document except where specified, or marked at the paragraph level.
A grandfather's hobby is listening to and playing music. He creates a Web site that includes examples of many different types of music and musical instruments. When describing specific types of music, he links to a short sound
EDITORS NOTE:
The CKW reorganization suggested that this checkpoint be combined with
checkpoint 1.4. [I#442]
acronyms and abbreviations do not appear first in standard unabridged dictionaries for the language or define the first time the first time they appear or are available in a glossary on the site.[I#330]
EDITORS NOTE:
If a standard format for doing it can be achieved, we might require
that linkages to glossaries for all abbreviations and acronyms that are
created by the author or site be provided. We could also recommend that
linkages to any abbreviations, acronyms, etc. used by the authors also be
provided. We could also have a weaker recommendation for acronyms and
abbreviations appearing on the site that linkages to glossaries explaining
all abbreviations acronyms, etc. that appear in any documents on the site be
provided.
a list is provided on the page or home pageof URIs to cascading dictionaries that can or should be used to define abbreviations or acronyms.[I#350]
the content has been reviewed, taking into account the following strategies for determining the definition of abbreviations and acronyms, applying them as appropriate.
provide a definition or link (with the first occurrence) of phrases, words, acronyms, and abbreviations specific to a particular community.
provide a summary for relationships that may not be obvious from analyzing the structure of a table but that may be apparent in a visual rendering of the table.
if contracted forms of words are used such that they are ambiguous, provide semantic markup to make words unique and interpretable.
Defining key terms and specialized language will help people who are not familiar with the topic.
Providing the expansion of abbreviations and acronyms not only helps people who are not familiar with the abbreviation or acronym but can clarify which meaning of an abbreviation or acronym is appropriate to use. For example, the acronym "ADA" stands for both the American with Disabilities Act as well as the American Dental Association.
the content has been reviewed, taking into account the following strategies for evaluating the complexity of the content, applying them as appropriate.
familiarity of terms and language structure
reasonableness of length and complexity of sentences
coherence of paragraphs (and sensibility in length)
clarity of headings and linked text when read out of context
accuracy and uniqueness of page titles
care in the use of all-capital letters where normal sentence case might increase comprehension
inclusion of non-text content to supplement text for key pages or sections of the site where they felt it was appropriate.
the content has been reviewed, taking into account the strategies for evaluating the complexity of the content, applying them as appropriate.
Strategies for evaluating the complexity of the content include:
use of sentence structures that increase understanding
such as active voice in languages where this form helps convey information
length of noun phrases
strings of no more than three or four nouns are easiest to understand
clarity of reference with pronouns and anaphoric expressions (these refer back to something already said in the text)
example of potential ambiguity: "Scientists study monkeys. They eat bananas."
correct use of conjunction forms and adverbs to make explicit the relationship between phrases or parts of the text
such as "and," "but," "furthermore," "not only"
complexity of verb tenses
do the tenses used in a document seem overly complicated?
intelligibility of verb phrases
familiarity of idioms or slang
logic in the order and flow of information
consequences of ambiguity or abstraction
improved readability of vertical lists might offer in place of long paragraphs of information
use of summaries to aid understanding
thoroughness in the explanation of instructions or required actions
consistency in the use of names and labels
clarity where the document:
addresses users
explains choices and options
labels options to get more information
instructs users how to modify selections in critical functions (such as how to delete an item from a shopping cart)
application of:
proper markup to highlight key information
goal-action structure for menu prompts
default settings (and the ease in re-establishing them)
two-step "select and confirm" processes to reduce accidental selections for critical functions
calculation assistance to reduce the need to calculate
testing with potential users for ease of accessibility
use of a controlled language
providing support for conversion into symbolic languages
adding non-text content to the site for key pages or sections specifically to make the site more understandable by users who cannot understand the text only version of the site.
All users, especially those with cognitive, learning, and/or reading disabilities benefit from the use of clear and simple writing. This should not discourage you from expressing complex or technical ideas.
Using clear and simple language also benefits people whose first language differs from your own, including those people who communicate primarily in sign language.
Sounds, graphics, videos and animations can help make concepts presented in a Web site easier to understand, especially for people with cognitive, reading, or learning disabilities or those who are unfamiliar with the language of the text of the site.
Summarizing information that is difficult to understand helps people who do not read well.
Providing a summary of the visual cues that show relationships between complex information helps people who do not use visual cues or who have difficulty using visual cues. For example, people who are completely blinddo not use any visual cues, while people with dyslexia or with low vision might have difficulty interpreting visual cues.
NOTE:
Designers need to be cautious in deciding when to use illustrations.
Reading a picture is probably a learned activity that is easier for some
than others. Some users skip the pictures; others read only the pictures.
Designers must also recognize that visual conventions are not universal
and that individuals develop their own mental schema and expectations in
interpreting visual information.
A page describes how to learn to play soccer. Each step in learning the fundamentals of the game is illustrated with a photograph of a player doing what is described in the text.
The primary concept on a page is concrete. It is discussing Mt. Pinatubo. It includes both a description of the 1991 eruption as well as photos of the eruption and the aftermath. It links to another site that contains video and another site that contains a 3D simulation of what happened underneath the crust and within the volcano during the eruption.
A child went with her school on a trip to a bicycle manufacturing plant. She wrote a report for her family and friends to post to the Web. In the report, she includes the company logo as well as a picture of a bicycle on the assembly line. She links to the company Web site for more information. She includes photos she took of the plant.
A news site is comparing the performance of the economy from 3rd quarter of this year with 3rd quarter from the last 3 years. They compare prices of the most popular stocks. They present the data in a bar graph with a link to the raw data they used to create the bar graph.
A grandfather's hobby is listening to and playing music. He creates a Web site that includes examples of many different types of music and musical instruments. When describing specific types of music, he links to a short sound
key orientation and navigational elements (such as navigation bars) are generally found in one or two consistent locations or their locations are otherwise predictable.
where inconsistent or unpredictable responses are essential to the function of the content (for example mystery games, adventure games, tests, etc.) the user is warned in advance of encountering them.
wherever there are extreme changes in context, one of the following is true:
an easy to find setting, that persists for the site visit, is provided for the user to deactivate processes or features that cause extreme changes in context or
extreme changes in context are identified before they occur so the user can determine if they wish to proceed or so they can be prepared for the change
user can select a different location for navigation elements in the layout of the page.[I#352]
the content has been reviewed, taking into account common ideas for making content consistent and predictable, applying them as appropriate.
common ideas for making content consistent and predictable indclude:
place navigation bars in a consistent location whenever possible
similar layout for user interface components should be used for sections or whole site
similar user interface components should be labeled with similar terminology
use headers consistently
use templates for consistent presentation of sections or whole site
pages with similar function should have similar appearance and layout
controls that look or sound the same should be designed to act the same
conventions likely to be familiar to the user should be followed
unusual user interface features or behaviors that are likely to confuse the first-time user should be described to the user before they are encountered
allow the user to select different page layout templates for presentation of pages. (for example 3 column, linear, adding extra orientation or navigation elements, etc.) [I#353]
Individuals who are unable to detect extreme changes in context or may not realize that the context has changed are less likely to become disoriented while navigating a site. This applies to people in the following ways:
Individuals who are blind or have low vision may have difficulty knowing when a visual context change, such as a new window popping up, has occurred. In this case, warning users of context changes in advance minimizes confusion when the user discovers that the back button no longer behaves as expected.
Using captions to note changes in speaker is beneficial for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and who may be unable to discern changes in speaker for audio-only presentations.
Some individuals with low vision, with dyslexia and who have difficulty interpreting visual cues may benefit from additional cues in order to detect extreme changes in context.
NOTE:
Providing consistent and predictable responses to user actions is
important feedback for the user. This lets them know that your site is
working properly and encourages them to continue interacting with the
content. When the user receives an unexpected response, they might
conclude that something is wrong or broken. Some people might get so
confused they will not be able to use your site.
Example 1: A form to deactivate pop-up windows
A checkbox is provided on a page of links to let the user select whether they want the resultant pages to appear in new windows or not.
Example 2: A warning given before a pop-up window
At the end of a news story, several links are provided for more information. At the beginning of each link is an icon of an arrow with the text equivalent, "Link will open in new window."
Example 3: Frames that do not track history making the back button behave unexpectedly
Example 4: Forms
EDITORS NOTE:
Some of these examples are very brief. Should they be expanded and
clarified with further details?
for markup, except where the site has documented that a specification was violated for backward compatibility, the markup has:
passed validity tests of the language (whether it be conforming to a schema, Document Type Definition (DTD), or other tests described in the specification)
structural elements and attributes are used as defined in the specification
accessibility features are used
deprecated features are avoided
EDITORS NOTE:
The following two success criteria seem to overlap with checkpoint 4.3. There is an open
question about whether they should be deleted since checkpoint 4.3 covers
programmatic interfaces.
Same as item #1 above, without the exception for backward compatibility.
This checkpoint further emphasizes that following specifications increases the likelihood of accessible content. While other checkpoints refers to individual pieces of content, this checkpoint takes a step back to look at the broad picture. It also exists to help cover future technologies or issues that we did not anticipate at the time of writing this checkpoint. Thus, the benefits of following specifications are primarily that assistive technologies and user agents can render the content according to spec.
Example 1: Structural elements
Throughout a Web site, structural elements are not used for purposes of presentation. Likewise, presentational elements are not used for purposes of structure.
Example 2: Accessible API's
A Java applet uses the accessibility API defined by the language. Refer to the IBM Guidelines for Writing Accessible Applications Using 100% Pure Java.
any custom user interface elements of the content conform to at least Level A of the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. If the custom user interfaces cannot be made accessible, an alternative solution is provided that meets WCAG 2.0 (including this provision) to the level claimed.
EDITORS NOTE:
This checkpoint includes a slightly reworded version of the suggestions
from CKW reorganization. However, the following elements appeared to
be redundant with the first sentence. Can they be removed?
If the application renders visual text, it should conform to the VisualText checkpoints.
If the application renders images, it should conform to the Image checkpoints.
If the application renders animations, it should conform to the Animation checkpoints.
If the application renders video, it should conform to the Video checkpoints.
If the application renders audio, it should conform to the Audio checkpoints.
If the application performs its own event handling, it should conform to the Events checkpoints.
If the application implements a selection mechanism, it should conform to the Selection checkpoints.
The application should support keyboard access per UAAG 1.0 checkpoints 1.1 and 6.7.
If the application implements voice or pointer input, it should conform to the Input Modality checkpoints.
accessibility conventions of the markup or programming language (API's or specific markup) are used (@@in UAAG somewhere?)
plug-ins required to access the content conform to at least Level A of UAAG 1.0. If required plug-ins are not accessible, an alternative solution is provided that conforms to WCAG 2.0.
accessibility conventions of the markup or programming language (API's or specific markup) are used [I#331]
the interface has been tested using a variety of assistive technologies and preferably real people with disabilities who use assistive technologies to determine that those assistive technologies are able to access all information on the page or hidden within the page.
EDITORS NOTE:
This section needs to be updated to reflect above changes in
checkpoint and success criteria.
Authors who utilize technologies designed to support accessibility will:
encounter fewer challenges when implementing these Principles
avoid the need to create custom solutions and workarounds to address accessibility concerns
avoid the need to provide accessible alternate versions for content rendered in a technology that does not fully address these Principles
Individuals who rely on assistive technologies to access the Web will be able interact with the content.
Individuals who access the Web with older technologies or alternative browsing devices such as PDAs and cell phones also benefit from the inclusion of accessible alternatives to custom user interfaces.
the Web resource includes a list of the technologies (other than standard HTML) users must have in order for its content to work as intended. Users who do not have one or more of these technologies can still access and use the resource, though the experience may be degraded.
NOTE:
When determining your list of technological requirements, consider that
assistive hardware and software is often slow to adapt to technological
advances, and the availability of assistive technology varies across natural languages.
Verify that assistive technology compatible with the technologies you
choose is available in the natural language(s) of your content.
EDITORS NOTE:
This checkpoint is currently in the set of extended checkpoints. The
implications of this are that there is no core checkpoint that says content
must transform gracefully or that it must be backwards compatible. However,
if the set of core checkpoints is designed well, core conformance would
result in content that transforms gracefully. This checkpoint might be too
subjective or difficult to test and may be deleted.
a list of technologies and features, support for which is required in order for the content to be operable, has been determined and is documented in metadata and / or a policy statement associated with the content.
technologies and features on the required list are available in at least two independently-developed implementations. (it is preferable that the technologies used for the implementations have been supported for at least one prior version of the software)
EDITORS NOTE:
A definition of "widely available" should be added here to include
something which is low cost and available in many?/most?
countries/languages.
Benefits of determining and documenting baseline user agent requirements:
Individuals can identify (either through site documentation or automatically through metadata) whether or not they are likely to be able to use a site. In conjunction with a search engine or a proxy server, this could be used to automatically filter out sites a user can not access or to automatically filter to the top sites that would be most usable.
Requiring sites to document their baseline will cause them to evaluate assumptions about user agents and will minimize the number of sites that are inadvertently inaccessible because they are unaware of backward compatibility issues.
Benefits of designing for backward compatibility:
Individuals who must use alternative browsing technologies and devices will be able to access the content.
Individuals who can not afford or otherwise do not have access to newer technologies also benefit from backward compatibility in that they will not need to purchase upgrades or equipment as often.
Example 1: An online store
By documenting minimum user agent requirements, the store makes it possible for people using particular technologies to determine if they are going to have trouble using the store or its checkout mechanism without having to go through the entire process of shopping and checkout only to find out that they are unable to complete their transaction at the end. They can, therefore, shop at stores they can be successful at.
Example 2: An Intranet site
A large company was concerned about the ability to address individuals at many diverse sites that have different technology bases. They have, therefore, created two versions of their content and documented the requirements for each, making it easy for individual sites to determine which version would work for their technologies.
EDITORS NOTE:
The WCAG WG has not tackled the definitions of the terms that we are
using and acknowledges that we sometimes use terms inconsistently. We need to
coordinate our terms and definitions with the WAI Glossary and are working on
proposals for a variety of definitions. We have been looking at the UAAG 1.0
glossary and other glossaries within the W3C.
content that can be expressed accurately and unambiguously in a reasonable number of words (for example, diagrams, charts, illustrations, etc.) Content such as a musical performance or visual artwork is considered "content that can not be expressed in words," since this type of content relies heavily on the visual (or auditory) experience.[I#320]
An audio description is a verbal description of all significant visual information in scenes, actions, and events that cannot be perceived from the sound track alone to the extent possible given the constraints posed by the existing audio track and limitations on freezing the audio visual program to insert additional auditory description.
Note:
When adding audio description to existing materials, the amount of information conveyed through audio description is constrained by the amount of space available in the existing audio track unless the audio/video program is periodically frozen to insert audio description. However, it is often impossible or inappropriate to freeze the audio/visual program to insert additional audio description.
Audio descriptions are equivalents of visual information from actions, body language, graphics, and scene changes that are voiced (either by a human or a speech synthesizer) and synchronized with the multimedia presentation.
Captions are text equivalents of auditory information from speech, sound effects, and ambient sounds that are synchronized with the multimedia presentation.
EDITORS NOTE:
@@ that provides dialog, important sounds and important visual
information in a single text document
A competitive activity is an activity where timing is an essential part of the design of the activity. Removal of the time element would change the performance of the participants. Versions of the activity (for example test) that have no time basis or time limits might be preferred and may be required for some venues but this would require a complete redesign of the activity (for example test) and may change the character and validation methodology and would therefore not fall under these Principles.
Content is considered complexif the relationships between pieces of information are not easy to figure out. If the presentation of the information is intended to highlight trends or relationships between concepts, these should be explicitly stated in the summary.
Examples of complex information:
data tables,
concepts that are esoteric or difficult to understand,
content that involves several layers.
Content
EDITORS NOTE:
We need to include a definition for content here.
Controlled languages use a restricted vocabulary taken from natural language. The purpose is to make texts easier to understand and translate. Standards generally limit words to a single meaning and prescribed part of speech. Complex syntax is avoided. Information about controlled language applications is available on the World Wide Web.
A featureis a specific component of a technology, for example an element in a markup language or a function call in an Application Programming Interface. Typically, a given feature may only be available in specific versions of the technology, and thus may need to be noted explicitly in the required list.
Functionality is the purpose or intended effect of the content. This may include presentation of information , data collection, securing a response from the user, providing user experience, linking to other content, testing, confirmation, purchasing, etc.
A keyboard interface is the point where the application accepts any input that would come from the keyboard (or optional keyboard).
Mechanisms that cause extreme changes in context include:
opening a new browser window unexpectedly and without any nonvisual cue (back button suddenly appears nonfunctional)
in an auditory presentation, the speaker changes with no visual cue and no notation in captions
captions that do not identify a change in speaker
Common user actions include:
mouse movements
key activation
link selection
use of browser navigation buttons (for example back and forward)
opening new browser windows
Common responses to user actions include:
loading a new page
exposing/concealing content based on mouse position or keyboard focus
displaying the contents of a menu (auditorily or visually)
displaying pop-up menus or windows
submitting a form
It is important that responses to user actions be predictable and sensible to the end user and that interactions are consistent, both throughout the site and with commonly used interaction metaphors used throughout the Web.
Media equivalents present essential audio information visually (captions) and essential video information auditorily (audio descriptions).
Natural languages are those used by humans to communicate, including spoken, written, and signed languages.
non-text content includes but is not limited to images, text in raster images, image map regions, animations (for example, animated GIFs), ASCII art, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds (played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video.
Note:
Scripts, applets, and programmatic objects are not covered in this definition and are addressed in checkpoint 4.3.
The term operableincludes the concept of efficiency. That is, it implies that the device can be operated from the keyboard in a reasonably efficient fashion. Using MouseKeys or having to tab dozens of times to move through a small section of a document or page, or other unreasonably inefficient keyboard access would not qualify. If a document has a very large number of links, some mechanism other than tabbing through them one at a time needs to be provided. This might include provision of headers (for header navigation), the use of skip navigation, links, etc.[I#346]
Presentationis the rendering of the content and structure in a form that can be sensed by the user.
Real-time events are those that are based on the occurrence of events in real-time where the events are not under the control of the author.
A site navigation mechanism is a mechanism for easily orienting and moving about within the site. Site navigation mechanisms include but are not limited to:
A home page with hyperlinks on it and subsequent pages that link to the other pages at the site
site map(s)
search engine(s)
expanding outline(s)
dynamic fisheye views showing all linked pages or topics related to any page.
3-D virtual representations of site content
Structureincludes both hierarchical structure of the content and non-hierarchical relationships such as cross-references, or the correspondence between header and data cells in a table.The heirarchical structureof content represents changes in context. For example,
A book is divided into chapters, paragraphs, lists, etc. Chapter titles help the reader anticipate the meaning of the following paragraphs. Lists clearly indicate separate, yet related ideas. All of these divisions help the reader anticipate changes in context.
A bicycle is divided into wheels and a frame. Further, a wheel is divided into a tire and a rim. In an image of the bicycle, one group of circles and lines becomes "wheel" while another group becomes "frame."
A technologyis a
markup or programming language
application Programming Interface (API)
or communication protocol
A text equivalent
serves the same function as the non-text content was intended to serve.
communicates the same information as the non-text content was intended to convey.
may contain structured content or metadata.
Note:
Text-equivalents should be easily convertible to braille or speech, displayed in a larger font or different colors, fed to language translators or abstracting software, etc.
A time-dependent presentation is a presentation that
is composed of synchronized audio and visual tracks (e.g., a movie), OR
requires the user to respond interactively at specific times in the presentation.
Content might be unfamiliarif you are using terms specific to a particular community. For example, many of the terms used in this document are specific to the disability community.
EDITORS NOTE:
definition of "widely available" should be added here to include
something which is low cost and available in many?/most?
countries/languages.
Since the release of WCAG 1.0 in May 1999, the WCAG Working Group has received feedback on priorities of checkpoints, the usability of the set of documents, and requests for clarifications on the meaning of specific checkpoints and what is needed to satisfy them. Thus, it is intended that WCAG 2.0, when it eventually becomes a W3C Recommendation:
will be more efficiently organized,
may adjust the priority of some checkpoints,
may modify, remove, or add requirements due to changes in Web technologies since the publication of WCAG 1.0,
will incorporate the Errata from WCAG 1.0,
will reflect the experience gained in implementing WCAG 1.0.
For a checkpoint by checkpoint comparison, refer to the Checkpoint Mapping Between WCAG 1.0 and the WCAG 2.0 Working Draft.
We hope that WCAG 2.0 will have several improvements over WCAG 1.0. While the primary goal of WCAG 2.0 is the same as WCAG 1.0 (to promote accessibility of Web content) additional goals for WCAG 2.0 include improvements that will:
Ensure that requirements may be applied across technologies
Ensure that the conformance requirements are clear
Ensure that the deliverables are easy to use
Write to a more diverse audience
Clearly identify who benefits from accessible content
Ensure that the revision is "backward compatible" with WCAG 1.0
For more information about the intended improvements in WCAG 2.0 Working Draft, please refer to Requirements for WCAG 2.0.
EDITORS NOTE:
Links within the document will be turned into references and the links
to those documents will be listed here. They are inline for the time
being.
Last updated October 30, 2003 by: Katie Haritos-Shea