Comments on WCAG 2.1 First Public Working Draft 28 February 2017

Hi all,


Sorry that I haven’t been as active as I was hoping to be over the past
year. The new SCs are a welcome step towards a refreshed WCAG.


Commenting on: https://www.w3.org/TR/2017/WD-WCAG21-20170228/



*1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)*

I know this SC hasn’t changed, but I think it would greatly improve the SC
to bring this note out of the Understanding document and into the normative
guidelines:
“Note 1: For 1.2.3, 1.2.5, and 1.2.7, if all of the information in the
video track is already provided in the audio track, no audio description is
necessary.”



*1.3.4 Support Personalization (minimum)*

This SC needs a lot more work before it’s acceptable as Level A or even AA.
It’s broad and ill-defined. What if context and important info is within
text prose? What kind of markup would be used? This one needs a lot more
thought.



*1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum)*

I know this SC hasn’t changed, but it would be nice to add an exclusion for
placeholder text if (and only if) there is a visual label as well?
Sometimes placeholder text is so high contrast it tricks the user into
thinking text has been entered.



*1.4.10 Linearization*

The exception is pretty huge here. Maybe the exception could be avoided by
just limiting the this SC to situations where the author has flowed the
body text into two or more columns of text?



*1.4.11 Resize content*

- Maybe be more clear that you mean horizontal scrolling (and then perhaps
clarify in the definition that this could be vertical scrolling in
differently flowing languages)

- the “use” exception is going to be a big loophole here and needs more
work. How can a tester tell where spatial layout is necessary to use and
meaning?



*1.4.12 Graphics Contrast*

- Should there be a photograph exception here?

- It’s odd that “essential” appears both in the SC wording and in the list
of exceptions.

- I think the “thicker” exception might be better if it clearly applied to
lines, dots etc. since “graphical objects” can mean entire image files.



*1.4.13 Printing*

- What can’t be printed? Video-only content?

- Does it need any kind of note re: user agent constraints? (e.g. assuming
user agents can print these characteristics)



*1.4.14 User Interface Component Contrast (Minimum)*

This should only apply if the author has taken control of UI rendering
colours. It doesn’t seem right that if an author just relies on a browser’s
default rendering (e.g. of  <button>) and the browser chooses a low
contrast rendering for its own reasons, that the author should be
penalized. Browsers have a responsibility here.



*1.4.15 Adapting Text*

- Verdana seems very specific. Does that internationalize well?

- Does this SC rule out icon fonts?



*1.4.16 Popup Interference*

Does the Turn-off condition mean it has to be turned off before it shows or
is it ok to have a close button on the popup?



*2.1.4 Speech Input*

What are “the commands”? If I have a form with a bunch of fields and a save
button, is Save the command? Are the browser’s copy/paste functions
commands?



*2.2.6 Timeouts*

- I think this works for “tasks” with a start and end, like applying for a
job but not for more general sessions where a task is not underway (e.g.
signing into my bank account home page).

- One week seems long. Is failing a site that keeps it for 5 days
reasonable?



*2.2.7 Animation from interactions*

I would be clear that you mean the entire screen, because there can be
small nested viewports etc.



*2.2.8 Interruptions (minimum)*

I agree re: Changes of Context, but interruptions needs to be defined. Is a
new email an interruption? A new airport gate assignment? May UIs are like
this.



*2.4.11 Single-key Shortcuts*

OK. I assume the mechanism must be in the content, not the browser or OS.



*2.5.1 Target Size*

I’m uncomfortable that these sizes are larger than the default rendering
sizes for elements like <button> in popular browsers. I think WCAG should
make it easy to use default element rendering (and working on browsers to
make sure they render well) and come down harder when authors change
default behaviour to reduce accessibility.



*2.5.2 Pointer inputs with additional sensors*

Should there be a note that the functionality might be in some alternative
way and that we aren’t forbidding these new methods? E.g. to delete an
email, I might press hard and slide left OR tap to select it and then press
a trash icon.



*2.5.3 Touch with Assistive Technology*

OK. Could it seem less imposing if it clearly applied to more complex touch
gestures?



*2.5.4 Pointer Gestures*

Some terms need definitions here. E.g. “Simple pointer gestures” because a
3-finger “L” is simpler than a 4 finger “L”..  Maybe we should set a
standard? Max. 1 finger swipe?



*2.6.1 Device Sensors*

“is essential for the function and not using it would invalidate the
activity.” Seems like oddly repetitive phrasing. If something is essential,
then by definition it must be there (like a heartbeat sensor for a
heartbeat app).



*2.6.2 Orientation*

OK



*3.1.7 Plain Language (Minimum)*

I’m really not sure about this for A or even AA. This would be really
complicated to test and monitor. And how would anyone know what these are?
(“Use the most common 1500 words or phrases or, provide words, phrases or
abbreviations that are the most-common form to refer to the concept.”).



*3.1.8 Manageable Blocks*

So “Select your language and press OK.” is not allowed due to it being two
instructions? Again, I’m not sure about this, though I think it’s actually
more feasible than 3.1.7.



*3.1.9 Extra Symbols*

Interesting idea. But does that mean that a police site could be WCAG
non-conformant because it listed it’s phone number without a symbol in
front of it? Which symbol? A phone? A police badge?



*3.2.6 Accidental Activation*

Quite a lot of conditions to parse for a relatively simple concept. This
wording (“either explicitly or implicitly as a platform's generic
activation/click event) seems to be a requirement on platforms (e.g.
Android, iOS) rather than page authors. Is that right?



*3.2.7 Familiar Design (Minimum)*

This needs more thought. It seems to prevent creative new UI patterns.
Would it have outlawed GUIs before they started?



*3.2.8 Change of Content*

Re: “The user has been advised of the behavior before using the
component.“: What component? None is mentioned prior.



*3.3.7 Minimize user errors*

I note “reliably” isn’t yet defined. It’s kind of important. Also, will the
user be notified? Will they be given an opportunity to correct?



*3.3.8 Undo*

The second bullet is a problem. What if I want to undo an action I made two
steps ago while keeping what I just did. That is impossible in most Undo
systems but seems to be required by this bullet.



*3.3.9 Provide Support*

I get the spirit, but I think people would likely point to things you don’t
want. E.g. to help understand a long document, users can read the heading
or the first paragraph etc.



*Definitions:*

*additional pointer sensor information *

OK


*author settable properties *

This doesn’t make sense to me. Seems like it should mean all attribute
values.


*cardinal direction *

OK


*changes of content*

Maybe changes made after it has been “initially rendered by the user
agent”. Should playing audio, video and animations be excluded?


*common input error *

Sorry but a weak definition. Basically, means an ever growing list of
things we tell you.


*complex information*
Needs work. I can easily think of things that meet the definition and are
not complex and things that don’t meet it but are.



*concrete wording *Needs some work. The examples are “smoke, mist, a
shout”. What about “You must tell the truth in your answers”?


*contextual information*
Semantics is the biggie here. Virtually everything impacts meaning.


*critical features*
OK. How is this related to “Essential”?


*critical service*
This really talks about real-world impacts. I wonder if the term needs to
highlight that?



*device sensor *OK


*CSS pixel*
…at arms length according to the CSS3 doc. I think more of the CSS
definition should be included incuding the diagram (with appropriate alt
etc.)



*easily available (or easily available mode or setting) *ok


*essential*
I don’t think the term does want it needs to for all of the places
“essential” appears (e.g. 1.4.12 Graphics Contrast).


*graphical object*
So each letter? Not sure this fully works.


*help*
ok


*identified context*
Wow. Feasibility?


*immediate surrounding color*
ok


*important information*
Testable?


*informational content*
ok



*long document *300 words?


*non-literal language*
But this isn’t really the flip-side of “concrete wording”. Should it be?



*non-numerical value *ok


*orientation*
ok


*personalization*
Not just driven, but set up, rendered, etc.



*platform assistive technology that remaps touch gestures *ok


*pointer input*
ok


*programmatic notification*
ok


*relative pronoun*
ok



*reliable and achievable (known to be) *empty



*significant animation *Be clear that viewport means screen, not just small
sub-viewport.



*single-character shortcut *ok



*standardized technique *ok


*target*
ok


*understandable language*
Are these identified?



Cheers,

Jan