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Guide to Guideline 2.5 Level 2 Success Criterion 2
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Guideline 2.5 - Help users avoid mistakes and make it easy
to correct them.
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2.5 L2 SC2: If an input error is detected and suggestions
for correction are known and can be provided without jeopardizing
the security or purpose of the content, the error is identified and
the suggestions are provided to the user.
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Content
Information in the delivery
unit that is used by the user agent to
generate perceivable units. This includes the code and markup that
define the structure, presentation, and interaction, as well as text,
images, and sounds that convey information to the end-user.
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Input Error
Any information provided
by the user that is not accepted by the content or server. This includes:
- information that is required but omitted by the user.
- information that is provided by the user but that falls outside the
required data format or values.
The intent of this success criterion is to ensure that users are aware that an error has occurred,
can determine what is wrong, and can receive appropriate suggestions for correction of an error
in order to fix an error. Persons
with disabilities (particularly cognitive disabilities) may find it difficult to recognize errors
and to correctly distinguish suggestions for correction of the errors from other information.
In the case of an unsuccessful
form submission, users may abandon the form because although they may be aware that an error
has occurred, they may be
unsure of how to correct the error, and so the form is nonfunctional to them. In such situations,
users would welcome appropriate suggestions for correction from
the delivery unit so that they can correctly interact with a form. This success criterion does
not prohibit the use of color and text styling to
enhance both the identification of specific errors and suggestions for correction of those errors.
It simply requires that when appropriate suggestions are available for correcting errors, that those
suggestions (in addition to error identification) be provided in an accessible manner.
The user needs this success criterion is intended to address include those needs
for accurate
and correct input of data in a timely and accessible fashion to a delivery unit,
so that the user's
objectives or purpose can be satisfied in interacting with a delivery unit,
regardless of disability.
Also addressed is the need for
assurance that work can be accomplished on a site in an error-free and correct manner, with
complete and accurate information about interaction with a delivery unit supplied to a user accessibly,
regardless of disability, and this success criterion attempts to provide such assurance.
The following combinations of techniques are deemed to be sufficient by
the WCAG Working Group for meeting success criterion 2.5 L2 SC2.
Instructions: Select the situation(s) below that match your content. Beneath it
are the option(s) that are known and documented to be sufficient
for that situation. For the technology-specific techniques, see the option for the
techniques you are using listed immediately following.
Situation A: A form contains fields for which information from the user is mandatory:
- Providing error identification and any appropriate suggestions for correction when any
mandatory information has not been provided. Both the error identification and any such suggestions
for correction either unambiguously are
referencing the mandatory fields or are describing the method used to reference the mandatory fields. The
suggestions for correction may include examples of correct information for the referenced
mandatory fields.
Situation B: Information provided by the user is required to be in a specific data
format or of certain values:
- Providing an error identification message and any appropriate suggestions for correction
when the user provides any information that falls outside the required data format or values.
Both the error identification and any such suggestions for correction are doing one of the following:
- unambiguously referencing the field(s) in error and providing examples (if any) of acceptable
data formats or
values that are "similar" to but might correct the user's entry.
- describing the method used to unambiguously reference the field(s) in error and the method
used to provide examples (if any) of acceptable data formats or values that are "similar" to
but might correct the user's entry.
Technology-Independent Techniques for 2.5 L2 SC2
- Informing the user that an input error has occurred (and suggestions for correction are available)
before presenting the user with other content, as well as making error messages (and suggestions for
correction) distinguishable from other
text on the delivery unit.
- Doing one of the following:
- providing information about the number of items requiring change,
the specific changes needed for each item,
instructions on how to proceed and an itemized list of the requirements
for a successful form submission, or
- providing this information as the first
item (or one of the first items) of content (if this is the area of the
delivery unit accessed by the user after the form submission), or
- emphasizing this content.
Optional Techniques (Advisory) for 2.5 L2 SC2
Although not required for conformance, the following additional techniques should be
considered in order to make content more accessible. Not all techniques can be used
or would be effective in all situations.
Additional Technology-Independent Techniques (Advisory)
- Repeating information about each requirement in the context of its
particular form field or group. Emphasizing this content.
- Providing a way for the user to skip from each item in the list of
requirements to its particular form field or group
- Providing additional contextual help for the form fields or group
requiring change.
Additional HTML Techniques (Advisory)
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Providing "correct examples" for data and data formats
as initial text in mandatory form fields
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Providing links to suggested correction text "close to"
form fields, or providing the suggested correction text itself
directly on the delivery unit "next to" form fields
Additional Client-Side Scripting Techniques (Advisory)
- Using client-side validation and alert to provide contextual help for the form
fields requiring change.
- Providing feedback for user actions in the form of suggestions for correction
via the DOM
- Providing capability as follows: As soon as the user leaves a field the
program looks at what was entered. The program compares what was entered to a
set of prescribed criteria. If the information provided by the user matches,
the user carries on. If there is an error, a notification pops up with suggestions
for correction.
Providing information about how to correct input errors allows users who are blind,
colorblind, or have learning disabilities to perceive the fact that errors can be
eliminated by application of this information.
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Additional Help for Form Field That Caused An Error
This is an example
of an HTML form that was not
successfully submitted (and an image that it uses).
This situation is of an input error that occurred in among other "correct"
input and offers additional help for the form field that caused the input
error.