RE: 2.4.7 Focus Visible

I don’t really want to get involved in this back and forth, but am  pointing out that the A/AA distinction is for all intents and purposes meaningless.  This is because all standards drawing on WCAG seem to include both A and AA (with a couple cherry picking exclusions for a couple of thorny specific SCs).

You’ll hear some conceptual arguments that failing an A is worse than a AA, but I’ve never seen evidence of that enter into procurement decisions.

We had moved Focus Visible from AA to A in the first drafts of 2.2 to make space for a new Focus Appearance at AA, but when that hit the shoals during testing and went to AAA, the WG pushed Focus Visible back to AA again, because we didn’t have a new AA and whether it was A or AA was deemed immaterial by many (so why force checkers to have to move it?).

I concur with Juliette’s last sentiment that this discussion has probably run its course. WG members can look at the arguments in the thread to inform their votes on changes to the Understanding document.

Mike

From: Michael Livesey <mike.j.livesey@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 1:00 PM
To: Patrick H. Lauke <redux@splintered.co.uk>
Cc: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: 2.4.7 Focus Visible
Just a additional correction to your post so that other readers are not mislead >> WCAG sets a baseline lowest limit of what sites must do in order to comply. WCAG 2. 4. 7 is AA rated. It is not the baseline lowest limit at all. It is a
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Just a additional correction to your post so that other readers are not mislead

>> WCAG sets a baseline lowest limit of what sites must do in order to comply.

WCAG 2.4.7 is AA rated. It is not the baseline lowest limit at all. It is a mid-level target, AA is regarded as a prestigious level. I wouldn't have an issue if keyboard only focus was rated "A" and there was an additional criteria at AA and AAA that required more extensive compliance. But we are talking about obliterating focus-visible and still maintaining AA accreditation here.



--
Patrick H. Lauke

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