This document is a draft of WCAG 1.0 checkpoints mapped to specific WCAG 2.0 success criteria. This mapping used the Checklist of Checkpoints for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 as the starting point. Since Web developers who are currently knowledgeable about WCAG 1.0 are familiar with this tabular form of the checkpoints, this might be a good way to present information on migrating from WCAG 1.0 to 2.0.
For each WCAG 1.0 checkpoint, I first looked at the current Mapping Between WCAG 1.0 and the WCAG 2.0 Working Draft and then tried to select a success criteria under that guideline that is basically the same as the WCAG 1.0 checkpoint. In some cases, I could not identify a specific success criteria (SC) under the indicated guideline that would match the WCAG 1.0 checkpoint. These cases are identified with "No SC".
The first column indicates where there are differences between the WCAG 1.0 and 2.0 priority levels. The contents of this cell are defined as follows:
| Difference | In General (Priority 1) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed | 1.1 Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). This includes: images, graphical representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects, ascii art, frames, scripts, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds (played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video. | GL 1.1 Level 1 SC # 1 - 4 for all except scripts, applets, plug-ins, frames. Not required for scripts, applets, plug-ins, frames. What about ASCII art? Note 1 |
| 2.1 Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. | GL 1.3 Level 1 SC 3 | |
| Lower | 4.1 Clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document's text and any text equivalents (e.g., captions). | GL 3.1 Level 2 SC 3 |
| Lower | 6.1 Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets. For example, when an HTML document is rendered without associated style sheets, it must still be possible to read the document. | GL 2.4 Level 3 SC 1 GL 4.2 Level 3 SC 2 |
| Implied | 6.2 Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes. | Text equivalents are addressed in GL 1.1, 1.2, and 4.2. If providing a text equivalent for content and that content changes, then the text equivalent must also be changed or else you don't conform to GL 1.1, 1.2, and 4.2 anymore. |
| Lower | 7.1 Until user agents allow users to control flickering, avoid causing the screen to flicker. | GL 2.3 Level 2 SC 1 |
| Lower | 14.1 Use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for a site's content. | GL 3.1 Level 3 SC 3 |
| Difference | And if you use images and image maps (Priority 1) | WCAG 2.0 Success Critera |
| 1.2 Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map. | GL 2.1 Level 1 SC 1 | |
| ? | 9.1 Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape. | Bugzilla issue 1484 |
| Difference | And if you use tables (Priority 1) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| 5.1 For data tables, identify row and column headers. | GL 1.3 Level 1 SC 1 | |
| 5.2 For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells. | GL 1.3 Level 1 SC 1 | |
| Difference | And if you use frames (Priority 1) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| 12.1 Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation. | Should be required attribute for frame element per HTML spec. Would map to GL 4.1 Level 1 SC 1 Note 2 |
|
| Difference | And if you use applets and scripts (Priority 1) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| Lower | 6.3 Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmatic objects are turned off or not supported. If this is not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible page. | GL 4.2 Level 3 SC 2 |
| Difference | And if you use multimedia (Priority 1) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| 1.3 Until user agents can automatically read aloud the text equivalent of a visual track, provide an auditory description of the important information of the visual track of a multimedia presentation. | GL 1.2 Level 1 SC 2 | |
| 1.4 For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory descriptions of the visual track) with the presentation. | GL 1.2 Level 1 SC 1 | |
| Difference | And if all else fails (Priority 1) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| Implied? | 11.4 If, after best efforts, you cannot create an accessible page, provide a link to an alternative page that uses W3C technologies, is accessible, has equivalent information (or functionality), and is updated as often as the inaccessible (original) page. | Covered by conformance section? Note 3 |
| Difference | In General (Priority 2) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2.2 Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen. [Priority 2 for images, Priority 3 for text]. | GL 1.3 Advisory | |
| Not required | 3.1 When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup rather than images to convey information. | GL 1.3 Advisory |
| Higher | 3.2 Create documents that validate to published formal grammars. | GL 4.1 Level 1 SC 1a |
| Not required | 3.3 Use style sheets to control layout and presentation. | Advisory in HTML and CSS Techniques |
| Not required | 3.4 Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values. | None. User agent issue |
| Higher | 3.5 Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to specification. | GL 1.3 Level 1 SC 1 GL 2.4 Level 1 SC 1 GL 4.1 Level 1 SC 1b |
| Higher | 3.6 Mark up lists and list items properly. | GL 1.3 Level 1 SC 1 GL 4.1 Level 1 SC 1b |
| Higher | 3.7 Mark up quotations. Do not use quotation markup for formatting effects such as indentation. | GL 4.1 Level 1 SC 1b |
| Higher | 6.5 Ensure that dynamic content is accessible or provide an alternative presentation or page. | GL 4.2 Level 1 SC 2 |
| 7.2 Until user agents allow users to control blinking, avoid causing content to blink (i.e., change presentation at a regular rate, such as turning on and off). | GL 2.2 Level 2 SC 1 | |
| Higher | 7.4 Until user agents provide the ability to stop the refresh, do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages. | GL 2.2 Level 1 SC 1 |
| Mixed | 7.5 Until user agents provide the ability to stop auto-redirect, do not use markup to redirect pages automatically. Instead, configure the server to perform redirects. | GL 2.2 Level 1 SC 1 GL 3.2 Level 3 SC 4 |
| Lower | 10.1 Until user agents allow users to turn off spawned windows, do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user. | GL 3.2 Level 3 SC 4 |
| Lower | 11.1 Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task and use the latest versions when supported. | GL 4.2 Level 3 SC 3 |
| Higher | 11.2 Avoid deprecated features of W3C technologies. | GL 4.1 Level 1 SC 1a |
| Lower | 12.3 Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate. | GL 2.4 Level 3 SC 5 & 6 |
| 13.1 Clearly identify the target of each link. | GL 3.2 Level 2 SC 6 | |
| Not required | 13.2 Provide metadata to add semantic information to pages and sites. | Technique that can be used to achieve some guidelines but not required for conformance. |
| 13.3 Provide information about the general layout of a site (e.g., a site map or table of contents). | GL 2.4 Level 2 SC 1 & 2 | |
| 13.4 Use navigation mechanisms in a consistent manner. | GL 3.2 Level 2 SC 4 | |
| Difference | And if you use tables (Priority 2) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| Lower | 5.3 Do not use tables for layout unless the table makes sense when linearized. Otherwise, if the table does not make sense, provide an alternative equivalent (which may be a linearized version). | GL 2.4 Level 3 SC 1 |
| Higher | 5.4 If a table is used for layout, do not use any structural markup for the purpose of visual formatting. | GL 4.1 Level 1 SC 1b |
| Difference | And if you use frames (Priority 2) | WCAG 2.0 Succes Criteria |
| Higher | 12.2 Describe the purpose of frames and how frames relate to each other if it is not obvious by frame titles alone. | GL 1.3 Level 1 SC 1 Note 4 |
| Difference | And if you use forms (Priority 2) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| Not required | 10.2 Until user agents support explicit associations between labels and form controls, for all form controls with implicitly associated labels, ensure that the label is properly positioned. | |
| Higher | 12.4 Associate labels explicitly with their controls. | GL 1.3 Level 1 SC 1 GL 2.4 Level 1 SC 1 |
| Difference | And if you use applets and scripts (Priority 2) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| Higher | 6.4 For scripts and applets, ensure that event handlers are input device-independent. | GL 2.1 Level 1 SC 1 GL 4.2 Level 1 SC 2f,2g, & 2h |
| Not required | 7.3 Until user agents allow users to freeze moving content, avoid movement in pages. | Note 5 |
| Higher | 8.1 Make programmatic elements such as scripts and applets directly accessible or compatible with assistive technologies [Priority 1 if functionality is important and not presented elsewhere, otherwise Priority 2.] | GL 4.2 Level 1 SC 1 & 2 |
| Higher | 9.2 Ensure that any element that has its own interface can be operated in a device-independent manner. | GL 4.2 Level 1 SC 2f, 2g, and 2h |
| 9.3 For scripts, specify logical event handlers rather than device-dependent event handlers. | GL 2.1 Level 2 SC 1 |
| Difference | In General (Priority 3) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Higher | 4.2 Specify the expansion of each abbreviation or acronym in a document where it first occurs. | GL 3.1 Level 1 SC 2 |
| Higher | 4.3 Identify the primary natural language of a document. | GL 3.1 Level 1 SC 1 |
| ? | 9.4 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects. | GL 2.1 No SC? GL 2.4 Level 3 SC 2? Note 6 |
| ? | 9.5 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls. | GL 2.1 No SC? GL 2.4 No SC? Note 6 |
| Not required | 10.5 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render adjacent links distinctly, include non-link, printable characters (surrounded by spaces) between adjacent links. | Deprecate |
| Not required | 11.3 Provide information so that users may receive documents according to their preferences (e.g., language, content type, etc.) | Conformance scheme allows for this but it is not a requirement for conformance. |
| Higher? | 13.5 Provide navigation bars to highlight and give access to the navigation mechanism. | Note 7 |
| Higher | 13.6 Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group. | GL 2.4 Level 2 SC 3 |
| 13.7 If search functions are provided, enable different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences. | GL 2.5 Level 3 SC 1 & 2 Note 8 |
|
| 13.8 Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc. | GL 3.1 Level 3 No SC Note 9 |
|
| Not required | 13.9 Provide information about document collections (i.e., documents comprising multiple pages.) | Not required for conformance but it is a technique that can be used to achieve GL 2.4 Level 2 SC 2 |
| ? | 13.10 Provide a means to skip over multi-line ASCII art. | Note 10 |
| 14.2 Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension of the page. | GL 3.1 Level 3 SC 3 | |
| 14.3 Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages. | GL 3.2 Level 3 SC 2 | |
| Difference | And if you use images and image maps (Priority 3) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| Not required | 1.5 Until user agents render text equivalents for client-side image map links, provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side image map. | Deprecate |
| Difference | And if you use tables (Priority 3) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| 5.5 Provide summaries for tables. | GL 3.1 Level 3 SC 3 | |
| Higher? | 5.6 Provide abbreviations for header labels. | GL 2.4 Level 2 SC 3 Note 11 |
| Not required | 10.3 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render side-by-side text correctly, provide a linear text alternative (on the current page or some other) for all tables that lay out text in parallel, word-wrapped columns. | Deprecate |
| Difference | And if you use forms (Priority 3) | WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria |
| Not required | 10.4 Until user agents handle empty controls correctly, include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas. | Deprecate |
TBD. This section will describe new requirements introduced in WCAG 2.0 that are not currently covered in WCAG 1.0.
Note 1: ACTION: Wendy to open Bugzilla issue on definition and techniques for ASCII art. See 6 Jan, 2005 teleconference meeting minutes.
Note 2: ACTION: Andi to talk to Rich Schwerdtfeger about submitting a requirement to the PF WG that the title attribute be required on frame elements in HTML. Rich says there are no plans to update HTML 4.x or XHTML 1.x. XHTML 2 uses xframes. Rich will take forward a requirement that the title attribute be required for xframes in XHTML 2.
Note 3: ACTION: Per discussion at the 6 Jan, 2005, teleconference, Andi took an action item to review the conformance section to insure that conforming by providing an accessible alternative page is covered. In this scenario, a conformance claim would not be made for the delivery unit of the inaccessible version but would be made for the delivery unit of the accessible alternative version. But where is the requirement that the alternative version be equivalent?
Note 4: In the HTML Techniques, the use of longdesc on frames to describe the purpose and relationships is deprecated. If you can't use longdesc on frames to achieve this, then how can the relationship be programmatically determined as required by GL 1.3?
Note 5: GL 2.2 Level 2 SC 2 says to allow user to pause or stop moving content. Maybe we need a Level 3 SC on avoiding moving content altogether?
Note 6: Logical tab order and keyboard shortcuts are still open per discussion at 17 Feb, 2005, teleconference.
Note 7: At the 17 Feb, 2005, teleconference, it was suggested that this maps to GL 2.4 Level 2 SC 1. But this SC is talking about a table of contents for a single delivery unit. Nav bars tend to be like a table of contents for a "site" which is composed of multiple delivery units. GL 2.4 Level 2 SC 2 requires that there be more than one way to locate the content of each delivery unit. So it sounds like, in WCAG 1.0, we required a single navigation bar for triple-A conformance but in WCAG 2.0, we require multiple navigation mechanisms for double-A conformance!
Note 8: At the 17 Feb, 2005, teleconference, it was suggested that this also maps to GL 2.4 Level 2 SC 2. I disagree that GL 2.4 implies any requirements on the search "features". It just suggests that a search "function" is one method of providing multiple ways to locate site content.
Note 9: ACTION: Add a strategy under GL 3.1 Level 3 SC 3 for placing distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.
Note 10: At the 17 Feb, 2005, teleconference, it was suggested that the requirement for skipping ASCII art maps to both GL 1.1 Level 1 SC 4 and GL 2.4 Level 2 SC 3. But ASCII art can convey information so GL 1.1 Level 1 SC 4 would not apply in that case. And it does not always contain repetitive information so GL 2.4 Level 2 SC 3 would not apply in that case. At a minimum, there should be a way to skip over it. And if it conveys information, there should be a text alternative but you can't explicitly associate a text alternative with it so that wouldn't meet GL 1.1 Level 1 SC 5.
Note 11: Table header information is only repetitive to screen reader users and the technique to abbreviate table headers is only useful when table headers are very verbose. I think this should be advisory in certain cases but not required for conformance at any level.