Role of WCAG guidance (was a CFC response)

Melanie,
You wrote:
The AGWG charter only gives it the ability to provide normative guidance to web content authors. That limitation does not mean that the AGWG should give content authors the responsibility to fix what is clearly a deficit of another “leg” nor absolve users from using assistive technologies that are currently available to enhance focus indicators.  This SC provides relevant guidance for when content authors choose to change the default focus indicator, but it should not require content authors to change it if they don’t choose to.

WCAG defines criteria that need to be met by web pages and applications, and authors need to ensure that these are met. In some cases there is an easy way (e.g., use default browser controls, rely on the default focus indicator, etc) but even with WCAG 2.0 there was some potential overlap. The author needs to make sure that the SC are met even if the browser doesn’t do its job. If a browser implemented a default slider component that wasn’t keyboard accessible, do you feel that an author would be able to rely on that control (I don’t)? The point of Focus Appearance is in part to make up for insufficient focus indicators on some browsers. End-users need a sufficient focus and if the browsers don’t provide it, and the authors _can_ (there is an exception for when they can’t) then the authors need to. My hope is that this will result in authors complaining to the browsers and getting improvements to the default focus indicator, which will reduce the overall level of effort on authors.

Is this really a difficult ask for authors to take responsibility for? I’m not sure what the underlying concern is – can you calarify?

Thanks,
AWK

Andrew Kirkpatrick
Director, Accessibility
Adobe

akirkpat@adobe.com<mailto:akirkpat@adobe.com>
http://twitter.com/awkawk



From: Melanie Philipp <melanie.philipp@deque.com>
Date: Monday, August 29, 2022 at 1:57 PM
To: WCAG <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>, Alastair Campbell <acampbell@nomensa.com>
Subject: Re: CFC - Move WCAG 2.2 to Candidate Recommendation (Take 2)
Resent-From: WCAG <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
Resent-Date: Monday, August 29, 2022 at 1:56 PM


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-1 (please note: this Objection is submitted as an individual member of the AGWG, not in my role as an AC representative).

With respect to SC 2.4.11 Focus Appearance:

Focus indicators are a function of the browser – a user agent. Without a full exception for browser default focus indicators this SC holds Content Authors responsible to overcome the deficits of User Agents. This is new territory for WCAG and is counter to the W3C’s own WAI discussion on how Accessibility has multiple essential components that interrelate at Essential Components of Web Accessibility [1]. The components described can be thought of as a “three-legged stool”:

  *   Users
  *   User Agents: browsers, media players, assistive technologies, and other “user agents”
  *   Content Authors: designers, content contributors, developers, authoring tools
It’s one thing to require Content Authors to make what they author accessible to certain standards. It is another thing to require them to also overcome the accessibility deficits of a user agent.

The AGWG charter only gives it the ability to provide normative guidance to web content authors. That limitation does not mean that the AGWG should give content authors the responsibility to fix what is clearly a deficit of another “leg” nor absolve users from using assistive technologies that are currently available to enhance focus indicators.  This SC provides relevant guidance for when content authors choose to change the default focus indicator, but it should not require content authors to change it if they don’t choose to.

The W3C, however, has a larger view than just web content authors. For example, part of the W3C’s Accessible Platform Architectures (APA) Working Group’s mission is “coordination of harmonized accessibility strategies within W3C” [2]. Instead of (mis)placing the responsibility for browser focus indicator visibility on web content authors, perhaps a group such as the APA or the Accessibility Features Community Group [3] could work with browser manufacturers (all major browser manufacturers are W3C members) to improve their support for people with disabilities.

The reason this (placement of responsibility for focus indicators) really matters is that the intent of the AGWG is that WCAG 2.2 be taken up by regulatory bodies and referenced by legal decisions (as WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 already are) and be submitted to ISO, as quickly as possible. This makes WCAG de facto more than a voluntary standard. Making it a requirement to modify default focus indicators all but guarantees that non-technically inclined, small-to-medium website owners around the globe will be put at regulatory or legal risk of non-conformance for something they didn’t or can’t change with their tools.

[1] https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/components/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2FWAI%2Ffundamentals%2Fcomponents%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cakirkpat%40adobe.com%7Cf3ee99925646470d3a8508da89e7f4ff%7Cfa7b1b5a7b34438794aed2c178decee1%7C0%7C0%7C637973926612080827%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RW8B226j%2FVd3qLq49iIarOYuHc9i5Dqe9xnq8%2BmF6TU%3D&reserved=0>
[2] https://www.w3.org/WAI/APA/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2FWAI%2FAPA%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cakirkpat%40adobe.com%7Cf3ee99925646470d3a8508da89e7f4ff%7Cfa7b1b5a7b34438794aed2c178decee1%7C0%7C0%7C637973926612080827%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=1gOEJps%2Flaz2iw%2BiU8sAz%2BaC99S4L6Rt9QyVgGMciAY%3D&reserved=0>
[3] https://www.w3.org/groups/cg/a11yfeat<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2Fgroups%2Fcg%2Fa11yfeat&data=05%7C01%7Cakirkpat%40adobe.com%7Cf3ee99925646470d3a8508da89e7f4ff%7Cfa7b1b5a7b34438794aed2c178decee1%7C0%7C0%7C637973926612080827%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=STSuEF7yW%2BlDTdNwU5D7GrFuN6S2ahbaLyC069Waw7o%3D&reserved=0>

Melanie Philipp, CPACC, WAS | Director, Services Methodology | 540-848-5220
Deque Systems - Accessibility for Good
www.deque.com<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deque.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cakirkpat%40adobe.com%7Cf3ee99925646470d3a8508da89e7f4ff%7Cfa7b1b5a7b34438794aed2c178decee1%7C0%7C0%7C637973926612080827%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=LAa1YQzH0%2B1E27BIeM%2FehYoWrqkYiR%2BqN44WexU0bgI%3D&reserved=0>


On Mon, Aug 29, 2022 at 1:31 PM Kersey, Ian (TR Product) <Ian.Kersey@thomsonreuters.com<mailto:Ian.Kersey@thomsonreuters.com>> wrote:
0
Thomson Reuters continues to object to the focus appearance SC despite recent modifications.

Thanks,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ian Kersey
Senior Accessibility Specialist
Pronouns: he/him/his

Thomson Reuters

Ian.Kersey@thomsonreuters.com<mailto:Ian.Kersey@thomsonreuters.com>

thomsonreuters.com<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthomsonreuters.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cakirkpat%40adobe.com%7Cf3ee99925646470d3a8508da89e7f4ff%7Cfa7b1b5a7b34438794aed2c178decee1%7C0%7C0%7C637973926612080827%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7TA%2F%2FaZuHrtj7QhHcB1S9xfNPLEs4vkIC%2BW%2FrUYH%2Fwc%3D&reserved=0>
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

From: Bossley, Peter (TR Product) <Peter.Bossley@thomsonreuters.com<mailto:Peter.Bossley@thomsonreuters.com>>
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2022 7:51 AM
To: Alastair Campbell <acampbell@nomensa.com<mailto:acampbell@nomensa.com>>; WCAG list (w3c-wai-gl@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>) <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>>
Subject: RE: CFC - Move WCAG 2.2 to Candidate Recommendation (Take 2)

0
Thomson Reuters continues to object to the focus appearance SC despite recent modifications.
Best,



From: Alastair Campbell <acampbell@nomensa.com<mailto:acampbell@nomensa.com>>
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2022 1:19 PM
To: WCAG list (w3c-wai-gl@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>) <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>>
Subject: [EXT] CFC - Move WCAG 2.2 to Candidate Recommendation (Take 2)
Importance: High

External Email: Use caution with links and attachments.

Hi everyone,

Call for Consensus – ends Tuesday August 30th at 2pm Boston time (a shorter time as this is take 2).

The Working Group has approved CFCs for all new normative content in WCAG 2.2 and it is ready to move to Candidate Recommendation.

The draft is at https://w3c.github.io/wcag/guidelines/22/#new-features-in-wcag-2-2<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fw3c.github.io%2Fwcag%2Fguidelines%2F22%2F*new-features-in-wcag-2-2__%3BIw!!GFN0sa3rsbfR8OLyAw!flmuTjETBmx5VnifT4RMwveezuna8hoG0YKK-mat9hkeZB1Iec0NLqKp_RWvazwy6gMCQUwvCZO8LlCQKq5wEBxiEGvT%24&data=05%7C01%7Cakirkpat%40adobe.com%7Cf3ee99925646470d3a8508da89e7f4ff%7Cfa7b1b5a7b34438794aed2c178decee1%7C0%7C0%7C637973926612237070%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=TlBLORb%2Fb7aT9J6xi1lGe4V%2FlSNqbArMXottNi7AXGQ%3D&reserved=0>

If you have concerns about this proposed consensus position that have not been discussed already and feel that those concerns result in you “not being able to live with” this decision, please let the group know before the CFC deadline.

An outline of changes since the last CFC is below.



  *   Several (proposed) WCAG 2.1/2.0 errata have been tackled. We also agreed to re-publish WCAG 2.1 so the errata will show up in the main spec, and we can tackle more of them before re-publication.
  *   The Flash provisions have been updated.
  *   The exception for Accessibility Authentication has been changed as part of the re-structuring (no change to meaning/requirement).
https://w3c.github.io/wcag/guidelines/22/#accessible-authentication-no-exception<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Fw3c.github.io%2Fwcag%2Fguidelines%2F22%2F*accessible-authentication-no-exception__%3BIw!!GFN0sa3rsbfR8OLyAw!flmuTjETBmx5VnifT4RMwveezuna8hoG0YKK-mat9hkeZB1Iec0NLqKp_RWvazwy6gMCQUwvCZO8LlCQKq5wEESANdJt%24&data=05%7C01%7Cakirkpat%40adobe.com%7Cf3ee99925646470d3a8508da89e7f4ff%7Cfa7b1b5a7b34438794aed2c178decee1%7C0%7C0%7C637973926612237070%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=99YAEOvH8IuR3ThYcS3UD%2FFWR8ElQNJErrifHPcG8ic%3D&reserved=0>
  *   Focus appearance:

     *   The first line was updated to address the ‘persistence’ objection.
     *   The sub-components aspect was updated.
     *   The SC will be marked at risk due to complexity.
     *   We have added a note on interpreting the visual aspect for sizing, we’re just narrowing down the wording/terms on that currently.
     *   The user-agent survey was very balanced, so checking previous results on the same topic the chairs interpret the consensus view is to use the current exceptions, status quo.

  *   Focus obscured: No change to the SC, but we are planning to add a cross-reference in the understanding document to focus-appearance for semi-opaque scenarios.