Re: Success criteria 1.4.4

Hi 

WCAG doesn’t require zoom.  It only requires what is stated in the Success Criterion.  Please do not mistake any technique as a requirement.  Techniques are always just "one way of doing it".  Sufficient techniques  are just one way that the WG has judged would meet the SC.    

The only thing ever required is exactly what is stated in the SC.

In this case

1.4.4 Resize text: Except for captions and images of text, text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality. (Level AA)

Relying on zoom would indeed allow you to meet this provision -- but it is not the best practice.   The ability to enlarge text and have it reflow is much more desirable. 

Zoom cannot be used to meet 1.4.8 though (except if all text blocks on the page are less than 1/2 the page width).  For any text that is more than 1/2 page width - it would require the ability to enlarge text that reflows.
 
1.4.8 Visual Presentation: For the visual presentation of blocks of text, a mechanism is available to achieve the following: (Level AAA)
Foreground and background colors can be selected by the user.
Width is no more than 80 characters or glyphs (40 if CJK).
Text is not justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins).
Line spacing (leading) is at least space-and-a-half within paragraphs, and paragraph spacing is at least 1.5 times larger than the line spacing.
Text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent in a way that does not require the user to scroll horizontally to read a line of text on a full-screen window.
How to Meet 1.4.8 |Understanding 1.4.8


Gregg
--------------------------------------------------------
Gregg Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Director Trace R&D Center
Professor Industrial & Systems Engineering
and Biomedical Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Co-Director, Raising the Floor - International
and the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure Project
http://Raisingthefloor.org   ---   http://GPII.net








On Aug 18, 2011, at 9:59 AM, Felix Miata wrote:

> On 2011/08/18 15:35 (GMT+0200) Harry Loots composed:
> 
>> Some users need to zoom, because the *default* size is not suffciently large
>> enough for them to comfortably read the words
> 
> For the vast majority of users this is true only until they suitably personalize their own browser's default size, which is something expected as part of the process of personalizing personal computing devices.
> 
> Zoom needs to work, but its need shouldn't be induced by the design itself, such as by setting a sub-100% text size on the body or setting 62.5% on body and bringing the size back up to less than the browser's default on P or other prime content text.
> 
> WCAG should frown upon deviating a page's base size from browser defaults, promoting sizing that is limited to conventional contextual uses.
> -- 
> "The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant
> words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation)
> 
> Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!
> 
> Felix Miata  ***  http://fm.no-ip.com/
>