Re: A question has come up about SC 2.2.2 & the blinking caret/cursor...

Al,

The issue here isn't about violating 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below 
Threshold <http://www.w3.org/TR/wcag2ict/#seizure-does-not-violate> and 
triggering seizures.  It is about violating 2.2.2: Pause, Stop, Hide 
<http://www.w3.org/TR/wcag2ict/#time-limits-pause>and being too 
distracting for people with cognitive impairments (screen reader issues 
with flashing content causing Off-Screen Model refreshes shouldn't apply 
to DOS, Linux, and Solaris text-based screen readers).


Peter

On 9/11/2013 7:33 AM, Hoffman, Allen wrote:
>
> Most terminal emulators have settings that do allow customization of 
> caret for blink rate, size, color, etc.Such would be great "sufficient 
> techniques", but I still think the size is the critical factor which 
> would not trigger seizures.
>
> *From:*Gregg Vanderheiden [mailto:gv@trace.wisc.edu]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 11, 2013 10:31 AM
> *To:* Peter Korn
> *Cc:* public-wcag2ict-tf@w3.org
> *Subject:* Re: A question has come up about SC 2.2.2 & the blinking 
> caret/cursor...
>
> Exactly.
>
> That is why the ability to personalize is so important.  That is one 
> more example of the fact that  "one size fits all" doesn't work - even 
> for a single disability - much less for everyone.
>
> /Gregg/
>
> --------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Sep 11, 2013, at 10:06 AM, Peter Korn <peter.korn@oracle.com 
> <mailto:peter.korn@oracle.com>> wrote:
>
>
>
> Gregg,
>
> Your thoughts are very similar to mine.  The key, I think, is having a 
> configuration setting to turn off caret/cursor blinking.  Note: doing 
> so may make it more difficult to locate the focus (e.g. when focus is 
> indicated in an edit-text field solely by the presence of a blinking 
> insertion point).  But 2.4.7 Focus Visible 
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#navigation-mechanisms-focus-visible> 
> says: "...has a mode of operation where the keyboard focus indicator 
> is visible".  This shows the brilliance of the folks developing WCAG.
>
> There is no requirement in WCAG that states that you must BOTH have no 
> blinking AND at the same time make the focus visible.  Mind you, 
> various accessibility regulatory efforts push for addressing multiple 
> disabilities at the same time in ways that might be difficult to 
> satisfy.  But then, we know already that solutions for some users some 
> cognitive disabilities can actually make things worse for other users 
> with other, different cognitive disabilities...
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Peter
>
> On 9/11/2013 5:57 AM, Gregg Vanderheiden wrote:
>
>     [The comments below are my opinion - and not official findings of
>     WCAG WG.    Gregg Van - _ex_ co-chair of WCAG WG]
>
>     The caret would never be a problem with 2.3.1. since a)  it would
>     have to  blink more than 3 times in any one second period (which I
>     have never seen) or else it automatically passes  and  b) it would
>     have to occupy more than 40% of the area subtended by the eye (10
>     degrees) -- as normally displayed on a 1024 x 768    15 inch
>     screen.  (See definition in WCAG 2.0).     So you are correct
>     Peter - a blinking text caret/cursor would never fail 2.3.1 with
>     any caret that I have ever seen or could imagine -- even if you
>     did create one that blinked more than 3 times a second (which
>     would drive me to distraction).
>
>      However -- one of the reason for the provision, is that blinking
>     content can be a distraction for some people that prevents them
>     from focusing.   And small blinking objects can do this as well as
>     large.  In fact the reason the cursor blinks is specifically so
>     that it will catch your eye.
>
>     The normal way to solve this is  to provide a way for the cursor
>     to be made to not blink.  A non-blinking cursor option.
>
>     NOTE: if the blinking cursor is part of the browser (and not
>     actually something created, and blinked, by the web page content)
>     then it is up to the browser not the web page to provide the
>     non-blinking option.
>
>     For software it is a bit different I think. If the system cursor
>     blinks, and it is known that there is no option to turn it off,
>     the preferences/settings of the application could provide such an
>     option.  Clearly however, the place that this should be fixed is
>     by providing a non-blinking cursor option in the system control
>     panel -- where other cursor options are provided.
>
>     In the case you cite (the terminal window) it is not clear what
>     kind of terminal you mean - or whether this is a (terminal)
>     application generated cursor or a system cursor.   But the above
>     would apply.
>
>     And finally, yes - I think that something to this effect should be
>     in understanding doc -- at least for web pages. Not sure we can
>     say much about software in the Understanding WCAG 2.0 -- but
>     something like about the OS could be.
>
>     Maybe something like
>
>     "Note: a blinking text caret/cursor is specifically designed to
>     catch the attention of the user, and would fall under this
>     provision. However, if the caret/cursor is not generated by the
>     content, but if it is a system or browser generated cursor, it is
>     the browser or system that should provide the option to turn it
>     off so that it does not blink for the user on all pages (or
>     applications). "
>
>     Gregg Van
>
>         *From:*Peter Korn [mailto:peter.korn@oracle.com
>         <http://oracle.com/>]
>         *Sent:*Tuesday, September 10, 2013 10:18 PM
>         *To:*public-wcag2ict-tf@w3.org <mailto:public-wcag2ict-tf@w3.org>
>         *Subject:*A question has come up about SC 2.2.2 & the blinking
>         caret/cursor...
>
>         Hi gang,
>
>         As we are digesting WCAG2ICT's guidance internally at Oracle,
>         a question came up about whether and howSC 2.2.2: Pause, Stop,
>         Hide <http://www.w3.org/TR/wcag2ict/#time-limits-pause>should
>         be applied to the blinking text caret/cursor in a terminal
>         window (or the actual machine console).
>
>         We presume that the blinking text caret/cursor is too small a
>         blinking/flashing region to trigger2.3.1 Three Flashes or
>         Below Threshold
>         <http://www.w3.org/TR/wcag2ict/#seizure-does-not-violate>, but
>         that is addressing a different concern.
>
>
>         Should a blinking text caret/cursor be a violation of 2.2.2? 
>         Or is what is blinking not "information"?  Or is the blinking
>         "essential"?  Or is perhaps the blinking area small enough
>         that it doesn't serve as a significant distraction (since it's
>         not a problem on a console for a console screen reader or
>         magnifier), that we might appropriately add language to
>         Understanding to essentially exempt that behavior?
>
>
>         Regards,
>
>         Peter
>
>         --
>         <image001.gif> <http://www.oracle.com/>
>         Peter Korn | Accessibility Principal
>         Phone:+1 650 5069522 <tel:+1%20650%205069522>
>         500 Oracle Parkway | Redwood City, CA 94065
>         <image002.gif> <http://www.oracle.com/commitment>Oracle is
>         committed to developing practices and products that help
>         protect the environment
>
> -- 
> <oracle_sig_logo.gif> <http://www.oracle.com/>
> Peter Korn | Accessibility Principal
> Phone: +1 650 5069522 <tel:+1%20650%205069522>
> 500 Oracle Parkway | Redwood City, CA 94065
> <green-for-email-sig_0.gif> <http://www.oracle.com/commitment> Oracle 
> is committed to developing practices and products that help protect 
> the environment
>

-- 
Oracle <http://www.oracle.com>
Peter Korn | Accessibility Principal
Phone: +1 650 5069522 <tel:+1%20650%205069522>
500 Oracle Parkway | Redwood City, CA 94065
Green Oracle <http://www.oracle.com/commitment> Oracle is committed to 
developing practices and products that help protect the environment

Received on Wednesday, 11 September 2013 14:58:55 UTC