current #

current rating

New group #

New Rating

current text

what rating should be

when rating occurs

2.1

[Required]

1

[Required]

Provide alternative text for all images and image maps.

Accessibility

always

3,4

8.3

[Required]

1.1

Provide alternative text for images used as "submit" buttons.

Delete -Redundant with 1

??

new

2

[Required]

Provide a long description for graphics, scripts or applets that provide important information. (charts, diagrams, pop up information, information displays, etc.)

Accessibility

always

2.2

[Required]

2.1

Provide a longer description for graphics that present important information (especially charts and diagrams).

Accessibility

always

3,4

3.1

[Required]

2.2

Provide alternative presentations of content for each script and applet that conveys information.

Accessibility

Always

3

new

3

[Required]

Provide an alternate mechanism for all scripts or applets that perform an important function. Make the script or applet cross disability accessible as well if possible.

3.3

[Required]

3.1

If an applet requires user interaction (e.g., the ability to manipulate a physics experiment) that cannot be duplicated in an alternative format, make the applet directly accessible.

Accessibility

Current/Future

3

3.2

[Required]

3.2

Provide alternative mechanisms for each script and applet that performs an important function, other than presentation of information.

Accessibility

Always

3

4.1

[Required]

4

[Required]

Provide a text transcript of all audio information.

Accessibility

Always

3

4.6

[Recommended]

4.1

Use the "title" attribute to provide a brief description of a very short sound.

strategy for 4

Always

3

4.2

[Required]

5

[Required]

Provide descriptions of all video information in an auditory form, synchronized with the audio track.

Accessibility

Always

3

4.3

[Required]

6

[Required]

Provide descriptions of all video information in a text format.

Accessibility

Always

3

4.4

[Required]

7

[Required]

Synchronize text and video description information with audio/video information [, either directly or via a synchronization file.]

Accessibility

Always

3

8

[Required]

Make pages backward compatibile. Ensure that they fail gracefully for browsers that do not support newer features (also applies to scripts and tables??)

7.1

[Required]

8.1

Ensure that pages are readable and usable without frames.

Accessibility

Current/Old browsers/ATs (still a big problem in future??)

9,3

1.2

[Required]

8.2

Ensure that pages are readable and usable without style sheets

Accessibity

Backwards compatibility

1

9.1

[none]

9

[Required]

If, after best efforts, any page is still not accessible, provide a link to an alternative page that is accessible, has equivalent information, and is maintained with the same frequency as the inaccessible page.

Accessibility

Always

8,3

7.2

[Required]

10

[Required]

Do not include an image directly in a frame -- put it in a separate document. {so alt-text can be attached}

Accessibility

Always (unless can associate alt-text w/image in some way in the future, e.g. title on FRAME)

3

8.7

[Recommended]

11

[Recommended]

Include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas.

Accessibility (for older browsers)

Older browsers/ATs

5

5.2

[Required]

12

change to Recommended ?

Avoid using tables to format text documents in columns.

Accessibility/Severe usability

Current browser/AT

6,1

5.3

[Recommended]

13

[Recommended]

For tables of text and numbers, provide an alternative page that presents the table information in a linear fashion.

Accessibility/Severe usability

Current browser/AT

6

5.4

[Recommended]

14

[Recommended]

Avoid using tables to layout a page.

Accessibility/Severe usability

Current browser/AT

6

5.1

[Required]

15

[Required]

Associate table cells with row and column labels explicitly (for complex tables). (Complex = column spanning titles, multiple data points per cell, what else?, )

Accessibility/Severe usability/Usability [depends on structure of table]

Future

4

4.5

[Recommended]

16

[Recommended]

Provide visual notification of sounds that are played automatically. (note that transcript of sound is already required)

Accessibility/Severe usability/Usability [depends on the purpose of the sound]

Always

3

7.4

[Recommended]

17

[Recommended]

Describe the layout and purpose of frames and how multiple frames relate to each other.

Accessibility/Usability [dependent on how frames are used]

Future

4

new

18

Required

Enable keyboard operation of all page elements. (Image Maps, scripts, applets, form elements, links, etc.)

2.3

[Required]

18.1

[Required]

Ensure that image map information is accessible and keyboard navigable.

Accessibility

always

3,4

3.6

[Recommended]

18.2

[Recommended]

Make scripts and applets keyboard-operable.

Accessibility

Current/Future

5

6.3

[Recommended]

18.3

[Recommended]

Provide keyboard shortcuts for links.

Severe usability (for pages with many links and browsers/ATs that do not create lists of links)

Future

5

8.9

[Recommended]

18.4

[Recommended]

Furnish keyboard shortcuts for form elements.

Severe usability (for pages with many links and browsers/ATs that do not create lists of links)

Future

5

8.4

[Recommended]

18.5

[Recommended]

Specify a logical tab order among form controls.

Usability (depending on complexity of page)

Future

4

new

19

Use elements and attributes appropriately. Use structural elements to reveal structure of document.

1.9

[Recommended]

19.1

[Recommended]

Use elements and attributes that appropriately convey structure.

kill

some current ATs (webspeak)/future

1

1.1

[Recommended]

19.2

[Recommended]

Do not misuse structural elements and attributes for purposes of layout.

Severe usability

some current ATs (webspeak)/future

1

1.11

[Recommended]

19.3

[Recommended]

Do not misuse presentation elements for purposes of structure.

Severe usability

some current ATs (webspeak)/future

1

1.3

[Required]

19.4

[Required]

Nest headings properly.

Usability

Current AT (webspeak), future mainstream

2

1.4

[Required]

19.5

[Required]

Encode list structure and list items properly.

Usability

Current AT (webspeak), future mainstream

2

1.7

[Recommended]

19.6

[Recommended]

Use style sheets rather than invisible or transparent images to force layout.

Usability

current and future

1

1.6

[Recommended]

19.7

[Recommended]

Use style sheets rather than converting text to images.

Severe usability (if small print that can't be magnified accessibility)

Always (although has to be backwards compatible)

1

1.8

[Recommended]

19.8

[Recommended]

Avoid the use of deprecated presentation elements and attributes (as well as B and I).

x see 1.1

6.2

[Recommended]

20

[Recommended]

Place non-link, printable characters (surrounded by spaces) between links that occur consecutively...

Severe usability (for old/current AT)

Old browsers/AT

5

7.3

[Required]

21

[Required]

Give each frame a title.

Severe usability

Future

4

new

22

Avoid moving, blinking, or scrolling objects, particularly those that contain text unless a method for freezing motion is provided.

1.5

[Required]

22.1

[Required]

Avoid moving, blinking, or scrolling objects, particularly those that contain text.

Severe usability (for some current applications is accessibility, in the future will be moot)

Current browser/AT

6

3.4

[Required]

22.2

[Required]

Provide a mechanism for the user to freeze all moving or blinking objects, particularly those that contain text.

x See 1.5

1.12

[Recommended]

23

[Recommended]

Provide titles for horizontal rules, acronyms, and abbreviations.

Usability

future

4

1.13

[Recommended]

24

[Recommended]

Avoid ASCII art and non-letter characters within words.

Usability

current browser/AT

7

2.4

[Recommended]

25

[Recommended]

Provide descriptive titles for images used as links.

Usability

future

4

3.5

[Recommended]

26

[Recommended]

Provide alternative text for each applet.

Useful

Old browsers

4

5.5

[Recommended]

27

[Recommended]

Provide abbreviations for lengthy row or column labels.

Usability

Future

4

5.6

[Recommended]

28

[Recommended]

Provide summaries of tables.

Usability

Future

4

5.7

[Recommended]

29

[Recommended]

For more complex tables, group information into categories.

Usability

Future

4

6.1

[Recommended]

30

[Recommended]

Create link phrases that make sense when read out of context, but that are not too verbose.

Usability

Current browsers/AT

5

8.5

[Recommended]

31

[Recommended]

Group related controls semantically and label each group.

Usability

Future

4

8.6

[Recommended]

32

[Recommended]

For long lists of selections, group items into a hierarchy.

Usability (depending on complexity could be severe)

Future

4

8.2

[Required]

33

[Required]

Associate labels with their form controls.

Usability (depends on complexity of form)

Future

4

5.9

[Recommended]

34.1

[Recommended]

Provide a phone number, fax number or e-mail address if tables cannot be made accessible.

Useful

Always

4

8.8

[Recommended]

34.2

[Recommended]

Include a phone number, fax number, e-mail address, or postal address as an alternative way to submit information.

Useful

Always

4

1.1

[Required]

35

???

Use elements and attributes that comply with an HTML 4.0 Document Type Definition (DTD) and CSS-1.

Useful (depending on element, but in general Useful)

Future

7

8.1

[Required]

36

Delete

Do not use image maps to create graphical "submit" buttons.

x delete??

Future

3,4,5

5.8

[Recommended]

37

Delete

Ensure that alternative text does not wrap within tables used to position graphics.

x need to delete