Re: UAAG 2 partial conformance options (Action 704)

On the call I said I would try and make these more clear:

(1) Partial UAAG 2.0 Conformance - Constrained Content (Level A, AA, or AAA)
---
This conformance option may be selected when the user agent is deployed such that it only ever needs to display a tightly constrained set of content. The conformance claim must list those success criteria  which are judged not applicable due to the nature of the constrained content.
Example: 
- A mobile app for an airline might, in fact, be an HTML browser that only displays specially-structured text-only HTML content (flight information) from a known source. Because the content is very predictable, certain UAWG requirements that would usually apply to an HTML browser (e.g. regarding how to display image alternatives) would not apply.


(2) Partial UAAG 2.0 Conformance - User Agent Component (Level A, AA, or AAA)
---
This conformance option may be selected when user agent (or plug-in, extension, etc.) would require additional user agent functionality in order to conform as a complete user agent. This option may be used for components with very limited functionality (e.g. a plug-in) up to nearly complete systems (e.g. a browser missing some UAWG required functionality that could be added via a browser extension).

The level of conformance (A, AA, or AAA) is determined as above except that: (1) for any "no" answers, the user agent (plug-in, etc.) must not prevent the success criteria from being met by another user agent component as part of a complete user agent system and (2) the user agent (plug-in, etc.) must meet any requirements applying to all functionality (e.g. to be resizable, to provide documentation, etc.).

Note: User agents would not be able to meet partial conformance if they prevent additional user agent components from meeting the failed success criteria (e.g., for security reasons).

Examples:  
- A company creates a "mouseless browsing" plug-in that allows a browser to meet UAAG success criterion 2.3.3 ("Direct activation of Enabled Elements: The user can move directly to and activate any enabled element in rendered content."). The company would like to advertise that it helps to conform to UAAG 2.0, but a full UAAG 2.0 conformance claim for the browser plus the plug-in is quite involved. So the company makes a more limited Partial claim as a user agent component.
- A browser is released that meets most aspects of UAAG 2.0, but not success criterion 2.3.3 ("Direct activation of Enabled Elements: The user can move directly to and activate any enabled element in rendered content."). Fortunately, a "mouseless browsing" plug-in is available from a third-party. The developer would like to advertise that it conforms to UAAG 2.0, but it is concerned about legal liability if the third-party company ever withdraws the plug-in in the future. So the developer makes a more limited Partial claim as a user agent component.


Partial UAAG 2.0 Conformance - Platform Limitations (Level A, AA, or AAA)
---
This conformance option may be selected when a user agent is unable to meet one or more success criteria because of intrinsic limitations of the platform. The conformance should explain what platform features are missing.
Examples:  
-if a requirement refers to color, but the device only has a monochrome screen
-if a requirement refers to a keyboard interface, but the device OS lacks a keyboard interface
-if a requirement refers to a platform accessibility service, but the device lacks a platform accessibility service



Cheers,
Jan



(MR) JAN RICHARDS
PROJECT MANAGER
INCLUSIVE DESIGN RESEARCH CENTRE (IDRC)
OCAD UNIVERSITY

T 416 977 6000 x3957
F 416 977 9844
E jrichards@ocadu.ca

Received on Thursday, 10 January 2013 19:19:06 UTC