RE: Animation conveying information

Ms J,

Since it's relying solely on a change of size to convey information, I'd suggest 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics applies.

Cheers,

Ricky

From: Ms J <ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 3, 2024 4:37 AM
To: Steve Green <steve.green@testpartners.co.uk>; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: Re: Animation conveying information

You don't often get email from ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com<mailto:ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com>. Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification>
CAUTION:EXTERNAL EMAIL SENDER!

Hi all

Thank you for replying. For clarity, I have already noted the nonconformance for pause, stop, hide. However, I don't feel this is sufficient alone (in response to the my direct email replies) because even if they provide a mechanism so that it can be paused, say, that still doesn't solve the problem that there is no alternative for screen reader users.

Colour isn't used as a means of conveying any information so use of colour doesn't come into it.

The animation is simply the button transitioning smoothly between a small and big size so it prompts users to interact with it by 'pulsing' - I guess something similar visually would be the way apple programmes you have open on a mac jump up and down at you from the bottom ribbon to tell you you have a notification.

So my question really is when I suggest it needs an alternative for screen reader users, what SC would I align it with?

I could consider motion a state and therefore fail it for 1.3.1 and 4.1.2 as you suggest Steve. But then I have a follow up question. So I also have other animated content on the website. So there is an image of a pointing finger which moves to indicate what to click. This image has no text alternative. Would you then fail it for 1.1.1 and 1.3.1 and 4.1.2? I feel like that makes sense, but I believe 4.1.2 only applies to user interface controls not images? So then I couldn't fail all animated content in the same way for the same...  it leads to the problem where motion is a state for a UI control, but not for an image?

Does the fact it's animated make it time based media? It's position is dependent on time so it feels like time based media? Like video only content? I'm thinking of 1.2.1, but appreciate it doesn't really feel like it fits.

Thanks

Sarah



Sent from Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
________________________________
From: Steve Green <steve.green@testpartners.co.uk<mailto:steve.green@testpartners.co.uk>>
Sent: Friday, August 2, 2024 7:08 PM
To: Ms J <ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com<mailto:ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com>>; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org> <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>>
Subject: RE: Animation conveying information

It may be a non-conformance of SC 1.4.1: Use of Color if the change of colour does not have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1.

Also, if the button changes from not pulsing to pulsing it would be indicating a change of state, so the information would need to be conveyed programmatically as per SC 1.3.1 and 4.1.2.

It may also be a non-conformance of SC 2.3.1: Three Flashes or Below Threshold and/or SC 2.2.2: Pause, Stop, Hide.

Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd

From: Ms J <ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com<mailto:ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com>>
Sent: Friday, August 2, 2024 5:11 PM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: Animation conveying information

Hello

This is maybe niche and something I haven't seen before. I have a website which uses animation to convey information. For example, to show that you must click a button next, the button pulses. This is information conveyed by movement. It isn't really time based media and it isn't really non-text content... it is animation/movement used to convey instruction.

What SC would you align this with please? It is almost sensory characteristics but the instruction is implicit in the animation...

It needs an alternative for people who can't perceive the animation, would this be 1.1.1? Or 1.2.1?

Thanks

Sarah

Sent from Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>