| Guideline ID |
WCAG 2.0 Working Draft
(14 February 2004) |
WCAG 1.0 |
| text-equiv |
Guideline 1.1
For non-text content, provide text equivalents that serve the same purpose
or convey the same information as the non-text content, except when the
purpose of the non-text content is to create a specific sensory experience
(for example, music and visual art) in which case a text label or description
is sufficient. |
-
1.1 Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). This includes: images, graphical representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects, ascii art, frames, scripts, 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. [Priority 1]
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1.2 Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map. [Priority 1]
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1.5 Until user agents render text equivalents for client-side image map links, provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side image map. [Priority 3]
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6.2 Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes. [Priority 1]
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9.1 Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape. [Priority 1]
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12.1 Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation. [Priority 1] (see also navigation-mechanisms)
|
| media-equiv |
Guideline 1.2
Provide synchronized media equivalents for time-dependent
presentations. |
-
1.3 Until user agents can automatically read aloud the text equivalent of a visual track, provide an auditory description of the important information of the visual track of a multimedia presentation. [Priority 1]
-
1.4 For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory descriptions of the visual track) with the presentation. [Priority 1]
|
| content-structure-separation |
Guideline 1.3
Make information, structure, and functionality recognizable even when users or user agents change the presentation format. --
OR --
Preserve information, structure, and functionality when changing visual or auditory presentation format. |
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2.1 Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. [Priority 1]
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3.3 Use style sheets to control layout and presentation. [Priority 2] (see also structure-emphasis)
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3.4 Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values. [Priority 2]
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5.1 For data tables, identify row and column headers. [Priority 1]
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5.2 For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells. [Priority 1]
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5.5 Provide summaries for tables. [Priority 3]
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5.6 Provide abbreviations for header labels. [Priority 3]
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6.1 Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets. For example, when an HTML document is rendered without associated style sheets, it must still be possible to read the document. [Priority 1]
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12.1 Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation. [Priority 1] (see also text-equiv)
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12.4 Associate labels explicitly with their controls. [Priority 2]
|
| unambiguous-decoding |
Guideline 1.4
For text, use fonts that can be represented in Unicode. |
N/A
|
| structure-emphasis |
Guideline 1.5
Make structure perceivable --
OR --
Make structure perceivable through presentation |
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3.3 Use style sheets to control layout and presentation. [Priority 2] (see also content-structure-separation)
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10.2 Until user agents support explicit associations between labels and form controls, for all form controls with implicitly associated labels, ensure that the label is properly positioned. [Priority 2]
|
| visual-contrast |
Guideline 1.6
In visual presentations, make it easy to distinguish foreground words and images from the background. |
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2.2 Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen. [Priority 2 for images, Priority 3 for text].
|
| audio-contrast |
Guideline 1.7
In default auditory presentations, make it easy to distinguish foreground speech and sounds from background sounds. |
N/A
|
| keyboard-operation |
Guideline 2.1
Make all functionality operable via a keyboard or a keyboard interface. |
-
6.4 For scripts and applets, ensure that event handlers are input device-independent. [Priority 2] (see also technology-supports-access)
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9.3 For scripts, specify logical event handlers rather than device-dependent event handlers. [Priority 2]
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9.4 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects. [Priority 3] (see also navigation-mechanisms)
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9.5 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls. [Priority 3] (see also navigation-mechanisms)
|
| time-limits |
Guideline 2.2
Allow users to control time limits on their reading or interaction unless specific real-time events or rules of competition make such control impossible. |
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7.2 Until user agents allow users to control blinking, avoid causing content to blink (i.e., change presentation at a regular rate, such as turning on and off). [Priority 2]
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7.3 Until user agents allow users to freeze moving content, avoid movement in pages. [Priority 2]
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7.4 Until user agents provide the ability to stop the refresh, do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages. [Priority 2]
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7.5 Until user agents provide the ability to stop auto-redirect, do not use markup to redirect pages automatically. Instead, configure the server to perform redirects. [Priority 2]
|
| flicker |
Guideline 2.3
Allow users to avoid content that is designed to flicker. |
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7.1 Until user agents allow users to control flickering, avoid causing the screen to flicker. [Priority 1]
|
| navigation-mechanisms |
Guideline 2.4
Make it easy for users to browse the resource, to know their place in it, and to find information they need
-- OR --
Content includes mechanisms to facilitate orientation and movement |
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3.5 Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to specification. [Priority 2]
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3.6 Mark up lists and list items properly. [Priority 2]
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9.4 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects. [Priority 3] (see also keyboard-operation)
-
9.5 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls. [Priority 3] (see also keyboard-operation)
-
12.2 Describe the purpose of frames and how frames relate to each other if it is not obvious by frame titles alone. [Priority 2]
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12.3 Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate. [Priority 2]
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13.2 Provide metadata to add semantic information to pages and sites. [Priority 2] (if 1.4 is modified to include semantics)
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13.3 Provide information about the general layout of a site (e.g., a site map or table of contents). [Priority 2]
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13.5 Provide navigation bars to highlight and give access to the navigation mechanism. [Priority 3]
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13.6 Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group. [Priority 3]
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13.9 Provide information about document collections (i.e., documents comprising multiple pages.). [Priority 3]
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13.10 Provide a means to skip over multi-line ASCII art. [Priority 3]
|
| minimize-error |
Guideline 2.5
Help users avoid mistakes and make it easy to correct them.
-- OR --
Provide methods to minimize error and allow easy recovery. |
-
13.7 If search functions are provided, enable different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences. [Priority 3]
|
| language |
Guideline 3.1
Make it possible for automated devices to identify languages used in the content. |
-
4.1 Clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document's text and any text equivalents (e.g., captions). [Priority 1]
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4.3 Identify the primary natural language of a document. [Priority 3]
|
| acronym-abbr-def |
Guideline 3.2
The complete wording of abbreviations and acronyms can be unambiguously (clearly) determined
-- OR -- Definitions of abbreviations and acronyms must be unambiguously determinable through complete wording |
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4.2 Specify the expansion of each abbreviation or acronym in a document where it first occurs. [Priority 3]
|
| content-complexity |
Guideline 3.3
Use the clearest wording that is consistent with the purpose of the content. Provide summaries or paraphrases of complex material, and provide visual or auditory illustrations as appropriate
-- OR --
Design content that is no more complex than necessary and/or is supplemented with simpler forms of the content |
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13.8 Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc. [Priority 3]
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14.1 Use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for a site's content. [Priority 1]
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14.2 Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension of the page. [Priority 3]
|
| consistent-behavior |
Guideline 3.4
Use consistent layout and make the behavior of interactive elements predictable
-- OR --
Make layout and behavior of content consistent and/or predictable |
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10.1 Until user agents allow users to turn off spawned windows, do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user. [Priority 2]
-
13.1 Clearly identify the target of each link. [Priority 2]
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13.4 Use navigation mechanisms in a consistent manner. [Priority 2]
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14.3 Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages. [Priority 3]
|
| use-spec |
Guideline 4.1
Use technologies according to specification. |
-
3.2 Create documents that validate to published formal grammars. [Priority 2]
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3.7 Mark up quotations. Do not use quotation markup for formatting effects such as indentation. [Priority 2]
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5.4 If a table is used for layout, do not use any structural markup for the purpose of visual formatting. [Priority 2]
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11.2 Avoid deprecated features of W3C technologies. [Priority 2]
|
| technology-supports-access |
Guideline 4.2
Ensure that user interfaces are accessible or provide an accessible alternative(s) |
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3.1 When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup rather than images to convey information. [Priority 2]
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5.3 Do not use tables for layout unless the table makes sense when linearized. Otherwise, if the table does not make sense, provide an alternative equivalent (which may be a linearized version). [Priority 2]
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6.3 Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmatic objects are turned off or not supported. If this is not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible page. [Priority 1]
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6.4 For scripts and applets, ensure that event handlers are input device-independent. [Priority 2] (see also keyboard-operation)
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6.5 Ensure that dynamic content is accessible or provide an alternative presentation or page. [Priority 2]
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8.1 Make programmatic elements such as scripts and applets directly accessible or compatible with assistive technologies [Priority 1 if functionality is important and not presented elsewhere, otherwise Priority 2.]
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9.2 Ensure that any element that has its own interface can be operated in a device-independent manner. [Priority 2]
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10.3 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render side-by-side text correctly, provide a linear text alternative (on the current page or some other) for all tables that lay out text in parallel, word-wrapped columns. [Priority 3]
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11.1 Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task and use the latest versions when supported.
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11.4 If, after best efforts, you cannot create an accessible page, provide a link to an alternative page that uses W3C technologies, is accessible, has equivalent information (or functionality), and is updated as often as the inaccessible (original) page. [Priority 1]
|
| N/A |
No longer needed |
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10.4 Until user agents handle empty controls correctly, include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas. [Priority 3] (could create a transformation that inserts place-holding characters into the forms)
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10.5 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render adjacent links distinctly, include non-link, printable characters (surrounded by spaces) between adjacent links. [Priority 3]
|
| N/A |
No Match - not clear that this is needed. |
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11.3 Provide information so that users may receive documents according to their preferences (e.g., language, content type, etc.) [Priority 3]
|