Re: CSS Techniques - Using an invisible header text in the sidebar navigation.

On Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 10:49 AM, WCAG 2.0 Techniques Submission Form <
nobody@w3.org> wrote:

>
> Submitter's Name: Devarshi Pant
> Submitter's Email: devarshipant@gmail.com
>
> Technique ID: UNKNOWN
> Short Name: Using an invisible header text in the sidebar navigation.
> Technique Category: CSS Techniques
> Success Criterion Reference: UNKNOWN
>
> Applicability:
> This technique allows screen reader users to differentiate sidebar
> navigation links from other links in the page.
>
> UA Issues:
> None
>
> Description:
> The objective of this technique is to allow screen reader users to get to
> sidebar links by adding an invisible heading positioned off screen. The
> wording of the header is something like, “Sidebar Navigation:” and is a
> semantic &lt;H3&gt; header text.
>
> Example 1 Head: Left Navigation driven website
> Example 1 Description:
> A blind user navigates the page using the headings list. A level three
> header that reads &quot;Sidebar Navigation:&quot; etc., allows a user:
> 1) To gain quick entry into the sidebar
> 2) To understand the structure of the page
> 3) To correlate the links underneath the header text
>
>
> Resource 1 Title: WebAIM Article on off-screen positioning
> Resource 1 URI: http://webaim.org/techniques/css/invisiblecontent/
>
> Related Techniques:
> G96
> G112
> G117
> G128
> G141
>
> Test Procedure:
> 1. Pull up the headings list using the screen reader.
> 2. Notice the header that states “Sidebar Navigation:” etc.
> 3. Check if activating the header places the focus inside the sidebar.
> 4. Tabbing once, check, if the second element to receive focus is below the
> invisible header.
>
>
> Expected Result:
> Checks 1, 2, 3, and 4 above are true.
>
> ================================
Response from the Working Group
================================

Thank you for submitting this technique. The working group has reviewed it
and has the following feedback:

   1. This is not a sufficient technique for SC 2.4.6, which requires that
   headings and labels be descriptive, but does not require that they be
   present on the page. As such, SC 2.4.6 addresses the text used for the
   heading or label.
   2. This could be an advisory technique, that is, a technique that is not
   sufficient for one of the success criteria, but which may make the contents
   more accessible. However, it is still not clear which success criteria this
   should be advisory to. Possibly to Success Criterion 2.4.10 (Section
   Headings are used to organize the content) or to Guideline 2.4 (Provide ways
   to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are).
   3. We have some concerns about using invisible text in CSS, especially
   with ARIA landmarks on the horizon. The CSS for hiding them is not 100%
   stable. Especially in right-to-left layouts, there are problems which
   left-to-right layouts don't have. There are also ever changing decisions by
   screen readers about what patterns they support. This technique would need
   to include the technical details for how to hide the text using CSS.
   4. We also have concerns with requiring level 3 headings, rather than
   whatever heading element works in the context of the page structure.
   5. The related techniques do not seem relevant to this technique, in that
   they are not presenting alternative techniques for addressing this
   requirement.
   6. The test procedure should describe what needs to be true of the
   coding, not how to test operationally. While we find it necessary to provide
   operational tests for general techniques, they are less reliable than tests
   that focus on the underlying technology. See the published CSS techniques
   for examples of how to describe CSS tests.

If you would like to revise the technique to address these issues, we would
be happy to reconsider it.

Loretta Guarino Reid, WCAG WG Co-Chair
Gregg Vanderheiden, WCAG WG Co-Chair
Michael Cooper, WCAG WG Staff Contact


On behalf of the WCAG Working Group