WCAG 2.x SC formation

Hi everyone,

A question from someone working on a 2.2 SC prompted me to write out how I think about creating SCs for 2.2.

Obviously it will change with silver, and there might be multiple types of criteria/guideline, but perhaps understanding the process helps?

DavidF had a summary of the goal for a new COGA SC:
> Navigating processes, filling out forms, and performing tasks, where steps rely on contents that need to be recalled from preceding screens, can mentally fatigue users drastically. Mental fatigue impairs the human ability to learn, and remember information, thus creating insurmountable barriers to users, regardless of cognitive ability. Information needed later on in activities that require sequential input should be stored, or displayed, as the user proceeds through required tasks.

So my thought process based on that was:

To convert the user-need into an SC, try and think about sitting in front of a page.
What is it about the page that you would identify as something that would require memory?

E.g. Does the page need to be part of a stepped process? If so, start it off with that context:
For a page that is part of a sequence of steps…

Does the page ask someone to remember something from a previous step? If so:
… the user is not required to remember information from a previous step …

Would it be universal, or are there instances where it might not be possible to apply it? If there might be some exceptions I’d add:
… except where remembering information is essential.

“Essential” means that task could not be completed in any other way. E.g. It is a quiz where the purpose is to test your memory!

So that would give you:
For a page that is part of a sequence of steps the user is not required to remember information from a previous step, except where remembering information is essential.

And perhaps add a note with an example or two of what might be considered essential.

Obviously this is the literal 1st draft, I’d be amazed if that didn’t get completely over-hauled, but perhaps it helps to see that thought process?

It also highlights why the focus of a guideline is important. Is it the content, the task, the user, something else? That will be critical to a consistent approach.

Kind regards,

-Alastair

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www.nomensa.com<http://www.nomensa.com/> / @alastc