RE: ACTION-849 - Reword layers of guidance principles bullet point to include better explanation

See my suggestions below which seek to build on Kim's version. I tried to do the following.
1. Simplify the principles section by simply stating them. They are very brief.
2. Give an example of a guideline and a success criterion.
3. Unpack the meaning of the heading for success criteria.
4. Remove material covered elsewhere.

UAAG 2.0 Layers of Guidance


UAAG provides three layers of guidance to developers of user agents - principles, guidelines, and success criteria.



1. Principles - Five principles provide a conceptual foundation for accessible user agents. These principles are:

  1.  Ensure that the user interface and rendered content are perceivable
  2.  Ensure that the user interface is operable
  3.  Ensure that the user interface is understandable
  4.  Facilitate programmatic access
  5.  Comply with applicable specifications and conventions.

2. Guidelines - Under each principle is a set of guidelines, which provide more specific guidance. For example, the first guideline under principle 1 (i.e., guideline 1.1) is: "Provide access to alternative content." While guidelines are more specific than principles, they may not be specific enough to be testable.

2. Success Criteria - Under each guideline is a set of success criteria. Each success criterion is designed to be testable, that is, one can evaluate whether or not a user agent satisfies the success criterion.

The section of the document for a given success criterion has a heading and an explanatory material. An example of the heading for the first success criterion for the guideline 1.1 says: "1.1.1. Render Alternative Content:  For any content element<http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/UAAG20/#def-element>, the user can choose to render any types of recognized<http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/UAAG20/#def-recognize> alternative content<http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/UAAG20/#def-conditional-content> that are present. (Level A)" The parts of this heading are a success criterion number (1.1.1), a short title ("Render Alternative Content"), the success criterion ("For any content element<http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/UAAG20/#def-element>, the user can choose to render any types of recognized<http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/UAAG20/#def-recognize> alternative content<http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/UAAG20/#def-conditional-content> that are present.") and a level ("Level A"). The level of a success criteria is important in determining whether your user agent must satisfy a given success criterion; how to determine this is described in below in the "Levels of Conformance" section and in yet more detail in the "Conformance" section. The explanatory material (a) describes the intent of the success criterion, (b) provides examples of how the criterion may apply in different user situations, and (c) provides links to resources.

(Note: I think that the explanation of the levels is already being provided in the Levels of Conformance sections a very little distance below. I think that same section is probably the place to include something like the following: "Even user agents that conform at the strongest level (AAA) may not be accessible to individuals with all types, degrees, or combinations of disability.")


From: Kim Patch [mailto:kim@redstartsystems.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2013 5:18 PM
To: User Agent Working Group
Subject: ACTION-849 - Reword layers of guidance principles bullet point to include better explanation

ACTION-849 - Reword layers of guidance principles bullet point to include better explanation

I tightened up the whole layers of guidance section to give the reader a better mental map of the whole thing. I also changed the parentheticals after the levels to better explain them. Lower versus higher can be ambiguous.

Cheers,
Kim

PROPOSED REWORDING


UAAG 2.0 Layers of Guidance

UAAG provides three layers of guidance: overall principles, general guidelines, and testable success criteria. Each success criterion also contains explanatory intent, examples and resources sections.

1.    Principles - Five principles provide a foundation for accessible user agents. Principles 1, 2, and 3 ensure that the user agent is perceivable, so users can access user agent output; operable, so users can communicate with the user agent; and understandable, so users know what to do to use the user agent. Principle 4 ensures that developers have programmatic access to user agent controls. Principle 5 ensures that user agents comply with existing specifications and conventions.

2.    Guidelines - Under each principal is a set of guidelines for making user agents more accessible to users with disabilities. These guidelines provide a framework to help authors understand the objectives for success criteria so they can better implement them.

3.    Success Criteria - Under each guideline is a set of testable success criteria that can be used wherever conformance testing is necessary, including design specification, purchasing, regulation, and contractual agreements. Three levels of conformance meet the needs of different groups and different situations: A (basic compliance), AA (stronger compliance), and AAA (strongest compliance). Additional information on UAAG levels can be found in the Conformance<http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/2013/ED-UAAG20-20130628/#conformance> section. Even user agents that conform at the strongest level (AAA) may not be accessible to individuals with all types, degrees, or combinations of disability. Each success criterion also contains an explanatory intent section, examples of how the criterion may apply in different user situations, and links to resources.

ORIGINAL

UAAG 2.0 Layers of Guidance

In order to meet the needs of different audiences using UAAG, several layers of guidance are provided, including overall principles, general guidelines, testable success criteria, and explanatory intent, examples and resource links.

*         Principles - At the top are five principles that provide the foundation for accessible user agents. Principles 1, 2, and 3 parallel the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0: to make the user agent perceivable, operable, and understandable. Principles 4 and 5 are specific to user agents: facilitate programmatic access and comply with specifications and conventions.

*         Guidelines - Under the principles are guidelines. The guidelines are goals authors should work toward in order to make user agents more accessible to users with disabilities. The guidelines provide the framework and overall objectives to help authors understand the success criteria and better implement them.

*         Success Criteria - For each guideline, at least one success criterion is provided. Each success criterion is testable, allowing UAAG 2.0 to be used where conformance testing is necessary, such as design specification, purchasing, regulation, and contractual agreements. Three levels of conformance meet the needs of different groups and different situations: A (lowest), AA, and AAA (highest). Additional information on UAAG levels can be found in the Conformance<http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/2013/ED-UAAG20-20130628/#conformance> section.

The principles, guidelines, and success criteria provide guidance on how to make user agents more accessible. Developers are encouraged to use them to best address the needs of the widest possible range of users.

Even user agents that conform at the highest level (AAA) may not be accessible to individuals with all types, degrees, or combinations of disability.


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Kimberly Patch
President
Redstart Systems, Inc.
(617) 325-3966
kim@redstartsystems.com<mailto:kim@redstartsystems.com>

www.redstartsystems.com<http://www.redstartsystems.com>
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