Re: Query regarding 1.3.4

Giacomo writes:

> I assumed per 1.3.4 that both orientations work on page load but not
while switching from portrait to landscape and vice versa.


Respectfully, can I ask why you assumed that?  In the Github Issue you
write:

"Is the intent of the SC to evaluate the status of the page based on how
the device was oriented on page load (both portrait and landscape) or it
assumes that dynamic change of orientation while navigating the website
must be always supported too?"


The Understanding document for that SC
<https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/orientation.html> states: *"The
intent of this Success Criterion is to ensure that content displays in the
orientation (portrait or landscape) preferred by the user."  *(While noting
to myself that user-preferences can change on a whim. For example, Kevin
wrote: *"**I will often open a site in portrait but when there's reading to
be done change to landscape for the instant text magnification and greater
context it offers."*)

I would argue that trying to put further qualifiers on the normative
language is an over-interpretation of the SC. To me, simply put, it needs
to always work: in the loaded state, in the "orientation changed by
end-user" state, and, by extension, transitory states as well, which is in
agreement with the Technique you mentioned:  G214
<https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G214>: *"Using a control
to allow access to content in different orientations which is otherwise
restricted".*

So yes, this means that a 'forced' page refresh using a control (button) to
'finalize' the re-rendered content is acceptable. As Andrew Kirkpatrick
(co-chair of the WCAG Working Group during the WCAG 2.1 years) notes in the
GitHub issue
<https://github.com/w3c/wcag/issues/2771#issuecomment-1308982364>, it may
not be "an ideal experience", but it is not a failure of SC 1.3.4.

JF

On Wed, Nov 9, 2022 at 1:07 PM Giacomo Petri <giacomopetri89@gmail.com>
wrote:

> I assumed per 1.3.4 that both orientations work on page load but not while
> switching from portrait to landscape and vice versa.
> Especially after reading
>
> While the content may work perfectly in both and only fail when
>> transitioning from one to the other, I see nothing that indicates working
>> in the initial orientation is all that is needed. By definition orientation
>> is subject to change, and so it seems pretty clear the intention is content
>> works in either orientation, including after a change in orientation.
>>
>
> from Alan.
>
> This case happens more frequently than expected, especially for animated
> elements such as sliders or carousels.
>
> That's the reason of my feedback and why I've opened
> https://github.com/w3c/wcag/issues/2771
>
>>

-- 
*John Foliot* |
Senior Industry Specialist, Digital Accessibility |
W3C Accessibility Standards Contributor |

"I made this so long because I did not have time to make it shorter." -
Pascal "links go places, buttons do things"