WCAG part 1

Hi. I have started looking at WCAG 2.0.

This is only a first review of the first half (until 2.4)

I have made short comments inline such 

Lisa comment: Useful - this means this checkpoint is useful for accessibility for cognitive and LD. Clearly they are all useful for other groups. However we may need additional techniques or changes to sufficient techniques


We also have an issue of important techniques for cognitive being in advisory or AAA level conformance with not so important or wish list techniques for other disabilities.
Often this is because of testability, wide applicability and other concerns. However I think authors should be able to easily  separate important items for cognitive from "nice to have" items for other disabilities.


All the best

Lisa 

 Text Alternatives:
 Guideline 1.1 Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.
 LISA COMMENT:  Useful for text to speech for dyslexia and low readers. However text  alternatives for images without text or symbols is not a big  issue. 
 Alt text should not be jargon or short/less understandable text 
 (eg alt=”logo” less good them alt = “home page”) 
  
  CAPTCHA: If the purpose of non-text content is to confirm that content is being accessed by a person rather than a computer, then text alternatives that identify and describe the purpose of the non-text content are provided, and alternative forms of CAPTCHA using output modes for different types of sensory perception are provided to accommodate different disabilities.
 LISA COMMENT: This does not help much for LD and COG if they are equally designed to confuse.
 General techniques to minimize the barrier of CAPTCHAs
 Providing more than two modalities of CAPTCHAs ... LISA COMMENT: may not be sufficient for COG and LD
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Adaptable:
 Guideline 1.3 Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.Understanding Guideline 1.3
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Info and Relationships:
 1.3.1 Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.1
 LISA COMMENT: This is very useful, as it will allow adaptive interfaces. However additional techniques may be required. Sufficient techniques may not be “sufficient”
 Sufficient Techniques for 1.3.1 - Info and Relationships
 Situation A: The technology provides semantic structure to make information and relationships conveyed through presentation programmatically determinable:
 G115: Using semantic elements to mark up structure AND H49: Using semantic markup to mark emphasized or special text (HTML) 
G117: Using text to convey information that is conveyed by variations in presentation of text 
G140: Separating information and structure from presentation to enable different presentations 
  
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Meaningful Sequence:
 1.3.2 When the sequence in which content is presented affects its meaning, a correct reading sequence can be programmatically determined. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.2
 LISA COMMENT: Useful for adaptive interfaces.
  
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Sensory Characteristics:
 1.3.3 Instructions provided for understanding and operating content do not rely solely on sensory characteristics of components such as shape, size, visual location, orientation, or sound. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.3
 LISA COMMENT: Slightly useful - maybe

 Distinguishable:
 Guideline 1.4 Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.
 LISA COMMENT: Slightly useful
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Use of Color:
 1.4.1 Color is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. (Level A)
 LISA COMMENT: Slightly useful maybe 
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Audio Control:
 1.4.2 If any audio on a Web page plays automatically for more than 3 seconds, either a mechanism is available to pause or stop the audio, or a mechanism is available to control audio volume independently from the overall system volume level. (Level A)
 LISA COMMENT: Slightly useful
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Contrast (Minimum):
 1.4.3 The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, except for the following: (Level AA)
  LISA COMMENT: Slightly useful - maybe
  
 Top of Form
  Bottom of Form
 
 Resize text:
 1.4.4 Except for captions and images of text, text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality. (Level AA)
 LISA COMMENT: Useful 
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Images of Text:
 1.4.5 If the technologies being used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey information rather than images of text except for the following: (Level AA)
 LISA COMMENT: Slightly useful
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Contrast (Enhanced):
 1.4.6 The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 7:1, except for the following: (Level AAA)
 LISA COMMENT:not useful
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Low or No Background Audio:
 1.4.7 For prerecorded audio-only content that (1) contains primarily speech in the foreground, (2) is not an audio CAPTCHA or audio logo, and (3) is not vocalization intended to be primarily musical expression such as singing or rapping, at least one of the following is true: (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.7
 No Background: The audio does not contain background sounds.
Turn Off: The background sounds can be turned off.
20 dB: The background sounds are at least 20 decibels lower than the foreground speech content, with the exception of occasional sounds that last for only one or two seconds.
 LISA COMMENT: Useful BUT this is only AAA level conformance
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Visual Presentation:
 1.4.8 For the visual presentation of blocks of text, a mechanism is available to achieve the following: (Level AAA)
  Foreground and background colors can be selected by the user.
 Width is no more than 80 characters or glyphs (40 if CJK).
Text is not justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins).
Line spacing (leading) is at least space-and-a-half within paragraphs, and paragraph spacing is at least 1.5 times larger than the line spacing.
Text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent in a way that does not require the user to scroll horizontally to read a line of text on a full-screen window.
 Advisory Techniques for 1.4.8 - Visual Presentation
 Using a hover effect to highlight a paragraph, list items, or table cells (CSS) (future link) 
Presenting text in sans serif font or providing a mechanism to achieve this (CSS) (future link)
Using vertical (bulleted or numbered) lists rather than inline lists (future link)
Using upper and lower case according to the spelling conventions of the text language (future link)
Providing large fonts by default (future link)
Avoiding the use of text in raster images (future link)
Avoiding scaling font sizes smaller than the user-agent default (future link)
Providing sufficient inter-column spacing (future link)
Avoiding centrally aligned text (future link)
Avoiding chunks of italic text (future link) 
Avoiding overuse of different styles on individual pages and in sites (future link)
Making links visually distinct (future link)
Providing expandable bullets (future link) 
Show/hide bullet points (future link) 
Putting an em-space or two spaces after sentences (future link)
 Failures for SC 1.4.8 - Visual Presentation
 F24: Failure of Success Criterion 1.4.3, 1.4.6 and 1.4.8 due to specifying foreground colors without specifying background colors or vice versa 
F88: Failure of Success Criterion 1.4.8 due to using text that is justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins) 
  LISA COMMENT: Slightly useful – however some advisory techniques are very useful. However not even needed for AAA level conformance
  
 Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Images of Text (No Exception):
 1.4.9 Images of text are only used for pure decoration or where a particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed. (Level AAA)
 LISA COMMENT: Not  useful 
 Keyboard Accessible:
 Guideline 2.1 Make all functionality available from a keyboard. Understanding Guideline 2.1
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Keyboard:
 2.1.1 All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes, except where the underlying function requires input that depends on the path of the user's movement and not just the endpoints. (Level A)
 LISA COMMENT: Slightly useful  - maybe
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 No Keyboard Trap:
 2.1.2 If keyboard focus can be moved to a component of the page using a keyboard interface, then focus can be moved away from that component using only a keyboard interface, and, if it requires more than unmodified arrow or tab keys or other standard exit methods, the user is advised of the method for moving focus away. (Level A)
 LISA COMMENT: Not Useful
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Keyboard (No Exception):
 2.1.3 All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes. (Level AAA)
 LISA COMMENT: Not  useful -
 Enough Time:
 Guideline 2.2 Provide users enough time to read and use content. Understanding Guideline 2.2
  LISA COMMENT: Useful - Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Timing Adjustable:
 2.2.1 For each time limit that is set by the content, at least one of the following is true: (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 2.2.1
 Turn off: The user is allowed to turn off the time limit before encountering it; or 
Adjust: The user is allowed to adjust the time limit before encountering it over a wide range that is at least ten times the length of the default setting; or
Extend: The user is warned before time expires and given at least 20 seconds to extend the time limit with a simple action (for example, "press the space bar"), and the user is allowed to extend the time limit at least ten times; or
Real-time Exception: The time limit is a required part of a real-time event (for example, an auction), and no alternative to the time limit is possible; or
Essential Exception: The time limit is essential and extending it would invalidate the activity; or 
20 Hour Exception: The time limit is longer than 20 hours. 
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Pause, Stop, Hide:
 2.2.2 For moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating information, all of the following are true: (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 2.2.2
 Moving, blinking, scrolling: For any moving, blinking or scrolling information that (1) starts automatically, (2) lasts more than five seconds, and (3) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it unless the movement, blinking, or scrolling is part of an activity where it is essential; and
Auto-updating: For any auto-updating information that (1) starts automatically and (2) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it or to control the frequency of the update unless the auto-updating is part of an activity where it is essential.
 LISA COMMENT: Useful but must be easy
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 No Timing:
 2.2.3 Timing is not an essential part of the event or activity presented by the content, except for non-interactive synchronized media and real-time events. (Level AAA)
 LISA COMMENT: useful 
However only AAA level conformance
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Interruptions:
 2.2.4 Interruptions can be postponed or suppressed by the user, except interruptions involving an emergency. (Level AAA) 
 LISA COMMENT: useful - but needs to be easy to use
 Understanding Success Criterion 2.2.4
 Sufficient Techniques for 2.2.4 - Interruptions
 Note: Other techniques may also be sufficient if they meet the success criterion.
 G75: Providing a mechanism to postpone any updating of content 
G76: Providing a mechanism to request an update of the content instead of updating automatically 
SCR14: Using scripts to make nonessential alerts optional (Scripting) 
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Re-authenticating:
 2.2.5 When an authenticated session expires, the user can continue the activity without loss of data after re-authenticating. (Level AAA)Understanding Success Criterion 2.2.5
 LISA COMMENT: useful 
 Seizures:
 Guideline 2.3 Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures.
 LISA COMMENT: useful  
 Navigable:
 Guideline 2.4 Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are. Understanding Guideline 2.4
 Advisory Techniques for Guideline 2.4
 Limiting the number of links per page (future link) 
Providing mechanisms to navigate to different sections of the content of a Web page (future link) 
Making links visually distinct (future link) 
Highlighting search terms (future link)
 top of page
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Bypass Blocks:
 2.4.1 A mechanism is available to bypass blocks of content that are repeated on multiple Web pages. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.1
 LISA COMMENT: Some Sufficient Techniques are useful (like Aria land marks and  headings) – Some are not (like skip  link)
  
 Sufficient Techniques for 2.4.1 - Bypass Blocks
 Note: Other techniques may also be sufficient if they meet the success criterion.
 Creating links to skip blocks of repeated material using one of the following techniques:
G1: Adding a link at the top of each page that goes directly to the main content area 
G123: Adding a link at the beginning of a block of repeated content to go to the end of the block 
G124: Adding links at the top of the page to each area of the content 
SL25: Using Controls and Programmatic Focus to Bypass Blocks of Content in Silverlight (Silverlight) 
Grouping blocks of repeated material in a way that can be skipped, using one of the following techniques:
H69: Providing heading elements at the beginning of each section of content (HTML) 
PDF9: Providing headings by marking content with heading tags in PDF documents (PDF) 
H70: Using frame elements to group blocks of repeated material (HTML) AND H64: Using the title attribute of the frame and iframe elements (HTML) 
SCR28: Using an expandable and collapsible menu to bypass block of content (Scripting) 
SL29: Using Silverlight "List" Controls to Define Blocks that can be Bypassed (Silverlight) 
 Advisory Techniques for 2.4.1 - Bypass Blocks
 Providing keyboard access to important links and form controls (future link) 
Providing skip links to enhance page navigation (future link) 
Providing access keys (future link) 
Using accessibility supported technologies which allow structured navigation by user agents and assistive technologies (future link) 
C6: Positioning content based on structural markup (CSS) 
 top of page
  Top of Form
 
  Bottom of Form
 
 Page Titled:
 2.4.2 Web pages have titles that describe topic or purpose. (Level A)Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.2
 Sufficient Techniques for 2.4.2 - Page Titled
 LISA COMMENT: useful