PLAIN: Rewording for guideline 1.6

Plain language version of Guideline 1.6 plus success criteria, benefits,
and examples

 

This document contains a series of proposals for a "plain language_
rewording of WCAG 2.0 Checkpoint 1.6 with Success Criteria, Examples,
and Benefits

 

This is submitted in partial fulfillment of an action item taken by John
Slatin, Katie Haritos-Shay, and Doyle Burnett during a call in late
September or early October, to generate a plain-language version of WCAG
2.  

 

This message is partial in two ways: (1) It addresses only Guideline
(now Principle) 1, Checkpoint (now Guideline) 1.6, and the relevant
success criteria, examples, and benefits.  Other guidelines, etc., will
follow.  (2) It is not really "plain language," in the sense that this
text has not yet been compared to the 1500-word "special lexicon" used
by Voice of America (or other similar lexicons).  Thus it's actually
best understood as an attempt to simplify and clarify.  We're still
working on the formal plain language issues, but wanted to put this out
to start generating discussion.

 

Items labeled "Current wording" are taken from the September document
Reorg 4, available at http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/2003/09/reorg4.html
<http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/2003/09/reorg4.html> .  This document was
current at the time Katie and Doyle and I took on the action item to
attempt a plain language version.  Of course the proposed rewordings
will need to be correlated with later updates.


Current wording for Checkpoint 1.6


1.6 [E2] Foreground content is easily differentiable from background for
visual default presentations.


Proposed wording for Guideline 1.6


1.6 [E2] In default visual presentations, make it easy to distinguish
foreground words and images from the background.


Current wording for Checkpoint 1.6, SC 1


1. text that is presented over a background color or grayscale has a
mechanism that allows the text to be presented in a fashion that has a
contrast greater than ______ between text and background color as
measured by ______.[

I#344]

 


Proposed wording for Guideline 1.6, SC 1


1. When text is displayed against a background, users can make the
contrast between foreground and background greater than ____ as measured
by ____.

 

I#344]


Current wording for Best Practice Measures for Checkpoint 1.6


1. when text content is presented over a background image or pattern,
the text is easily readable when the page is viewed in 256 grayscale.

 

Editorial Note: this item may be moved or updated if the proposal for
adding an extended checkpoint on color is accepted.

2. this item should read identically to the required item #2, except
that it should say "in default presentation mode."


Proposed wording for Best Practice Measures for Guideline 1.6


1. Text that is displayed over a background image or pattern is easy to
read on a monitor that supports 256 shades of gray.

 

Editorial Note: this item may be moved or updated if the proposal for
adding an extended checkpoint on color is accepted.

2. this item should read identically to the required item #2, except
that it should say "in default presentation mode."

 

Editorial Note: The working group is seeking an algorithm that measures
contrast in a way that is accurate and testable enough that we could
include it in the guidelines. One algorithm, which comes from the
Techniques For Accessibility Evaluation And Repair Tools document, is
currently under consideration for inclusion in the techniques, but the
group has not yet found something that is specific enough to be included
at the guidelines level.


Current wording for Benefits of Checkpoint 1.6


* Individuals with low vision can easily make out characters in the
content even if they don't have the wide field of view or full range of
color perception used by fully sighted persons to separate text from
background images.


Proposed wording for Who benefits from Checkpoint 1.6 (Informative)


*        Individuals with low vision can easily make out characters in
the content even if the individual doesn't have the wide field of view
or full range of color perception used by fully sighted persons to
separate text from background images.

*        Individuals with cognitive or attentional disorders who have
difficulty separating foreground from background may find it easier to
locate important information.

 

[js note: I took the liberty of adding a second group of beneficiaries]


Current wording for Examples of Checkpoint 1.6


* Example 1: a background image on a page.

 

A background image and text are arranged so that there is no image
behind the text or the image is so faint that the difference between the
darkest part

of the image and the text (which is dark) meets the standard
foreground/background contrast requirements. The image behind the text
also does not contain

lines that are about the same width as the characters so they do not
interfere with character recognition.

 

 


Proposed wording for Examples of Guideline 1.6 


(Informative)


* Example 1: a background image on a page.

 

A background image and text are arranged so that there is no image
behind the text or the image is so faint that the difference between the
text  and the darkest part of the image meets the requirements of this
checkpoint. The image behind the text does not contain lines that might
interfere with character recognition.

 

 

 


"Good design is accessible design." 
Please note our new name and URL!
John Slatin, Ph.D.
Director, Accessibility Institute
University of Texas at Austin
FAC 248C
1 University Station G9600
Austin, TX 78712
ph 512-495-4288, f 512-495-4524
email jslatin@mail.utexas.edu
web http://www.utexas.edu/research/accessibility/
<http://www.utexas.edu/research/accessibility/>