Introduction to WCAG, ATAG and UAAG
Jan Richards, Project Manager
Inclusive Design Research Centre
OCAD University
http://idrc.ocad.ca
W3C-WAI Model
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Recommendation:
• Guidelines for making Web content more accessible.
• Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 2.0 Working Draft (1.0 is Rec):
• Guidelines for: (1) making authoring tools more accessible to authors and (2)
supporting the production of accessible content by all authors.
• User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 2.0 Working Draft (1.0 is Rec):
• Guidelines for making user agents (browsers, media players) more accessible to
end users.
WCAG 2.0
• Version 2.0 is a Full Recommendation.
• Applies to:
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Various web content technologies (HTML, SVG, PDF, etc.)
Static pages
Web applications
Etc.
• Notes:
• Only Accessibility-Supported
Ways of Using Technologies
• Full Pages/Compete Processes
WCAG 2.0: Perceivable
• 1.1 Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it
can be changed into other forms people need, such as large
print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language:
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Control or accepts user input: Describe its purpose.
Time-Based Media: Provide descriptive identification.
Test or exercise: Provide descriptive identification.
Sensory experience: Provide descriptive identification.
CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and
Humans Apart): Note purpose and provide alternative forms of CAPTCHA in
another mode (sound).
• Decoration, Formatting, Invisible: Help assistive technology ignore it (i.e. alt=“”).
WCAG 2.0: Perceivable
• 1.2 Provide alternatives for time-based media.:
• Audio
• Captions (Prerecorded)
• Captions (Live)
• Sign language translation
• Video:
• Audio Descriptions
• Extended Audio Descriptions
• Interaction:
• Text alternatives including interaction
WCAG 2.0: Perceivable
• 1.3 Create content that can be presented in different ways (for
example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.
• Labels for form controls
• Table headings
• Roles, states, etc. (WAI-ARIA)
WCAG 2.0: Perceivable
• 1.4 Make it easier for users to see and hear content including
separating foreground from background:
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Sufficient contrast
Resizability
Ability to control audio
Low or no background audio
No one appreciates this…
….and this isn’t nice either.
WCAG 2.0: Operable
• 2.1 Make all functionality available from a keyboard:
• No “keyboard traps”.
• 2.2 Provide users enough time to read and
use content.
• 2.3 Do not design content in a way that is
known to cause seizures.
• 2.4 Provide ways to help users navigate,
find content, and determine where they are.
• Provide structure to help the user
navigate (headers, bypass links, tab order, etc.).
WCAG 2.0: Understandable
• 3.1 Make text content readable and understandable.
• 3.2 Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
• Don’t shift the user’s context just because they move the focus or
change the setting of a control.
• Keep navigation and control labelling consistent.
• 3.3 Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
WCAG 2.0: Robust
• 4.1 Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents,
including assistive technologies.
• Web content must be compatible with a wide range of user agents:
• Being parsable
• Passing along semantic information such as name, role and values (e.g. WAIARIA information)
ATAG 2.0
• Version 1.0 was published in 1999.
• Version 2.0 is nearing completion.
• Applies to:
• WYSIWYG editors, plain text editors
• conversion tools
(e.g., "Save as HTML")
• blogging tools, wikis,
online forums, email clients
• multimedia authoring
• CMS systems,
• Etc.
ATAG 2.0: Definition of Authoring Tool
• Any web-based or non-web-based application(s) that can be used by authors
(alone or collaboratively) to create or modify web content for use by other
people (other authors or end users).
• Note 1: "application(s)": ATAG 2.0 may be conformed to by stand-alone applications or by
collections of applications. If a conformance claim is made, then the claim must provide
identifying information for each application and also for any required extensions, plug-ins,
etc.
• Note 2: "alone or collaboratively": Multiple authors may contribute to the creation of web
content and, depending on the authoring tool, each author may work with different views
of the content and different author permissions.
• Note 3: "to create or modify web content": This clause rules out software that collects
data from a person for other purposes (e.g., online grocery order form) and then creates
web content from that data (e.g., a web-based warehouse order) without informing the
person (however, WCAG 2.0 would still apply). This clause also rules out software used
to create content exclusively in non-web content technologies.
• Note 4: "for use by other people": This clause rules out the many web applications that
allow people to modify web content that only they themselves experience (e.g., webbased email display settings) or that only provide input to automated processes (e.g.,
library catalog search page).
ATAG 2.0: Supports WCAG 2.0
• ATAG 2.0 uses the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the
determinant of Web content accessibility.
• ATAG 2.0 has special checkpoints related to checking, repair, etc. of content
that take their level directly from WCAG.
ATAG 2.0: Accessible Authoring UI
• Part A: Make the authoring tool user interface accessible
• Principle A.1. Authoring tool user interfaces must follow applicable accessibility
guidelines
• A.1.1. (For the authoring tool user interface) Ensure that web-based functionality is accessible
• A.1.2. (For the authoring tool user interface) Ensure that non-web-based functionality is accessible
• Principle A.2. Editing-views must be perceivable
• A.2.1. (For the authoring tool user interface) Make alternative content available to authors
• A.2.2. (For the authoring tool user interface) Editing-view presentation can be programmatically
determined
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ATAG 2.0: Accessible Authoring UI
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• Principle A.3. Editing-views must be operable
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A.3.1. (For the authoring tool user interface) Provide keyboard access to authoring features
A.3.2. (For the authoring tool user interface) Provide authors with enough time
A.3.3. (For the authoring tool user interface) Help authors avoid flashing that could cause seizures
A.3.4. (For the authoring tool user interface) Enhance navigation and editing via content structure
A.3.5. (For the authoring tool user interface) Provide text search of the content
A.3.6. (For the authoring tool user interface) Manage preference settings
A.3.7. (For the authoring tool user interface) Ensure that previews are as accessible as existing
user agents
• Principle A.4. Editing-views must be understandable
• A.4.1. (For the authoring tool user interface) Help authors avoid and correct mistakes
• A.4.2. (For the authoring tool user interface) Document the user interface including all accessibility
features
ATAG 2.0: Accessible content production
• We shouldn’t rely on the average author to implement WCAG on their own
because…
• accessibility requirements can be complex to manage (e.g. keeping navigation
consistent),
• most authors are not (nor do they wish to be) accessibility experts (and WCAG
is a technical document, on par with a format recommendation),
• the delivery of Web content is becoming more complex,
• and tools are being produced that hide many of the low-level details of the
final content.
ATAG 2.0: Accessible content production
• Part B: Support the production of accessible content
• Principle B.1: Fully automatic processes must produce accessible content
• B.1.1. Ensure automatically specified content is accessible
• B.1.2. Ensure accessibility information is preserved
• Principle B.2: Authors must be supported in producing accessible content
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B.2.1. Ensure accessible content production is possible
B.2.2. Guide authors to produce accessible content
B.2.3. Assist authors with managing alternative content for non-text content
B.2.4. Assist authors with accessible templates
B.2.5. Assist authors with accessible pre-authored content
• Principle B.3: Authors must be supported in improving the accessibility of existing
content
• B.3.1. Assist authors in checking for accessibility problems
• B.3.2. Assist authors in repairing accessibility problems
• Principle B.4. Authoring tools must promoted and integrate their accessibility features
• B.4.1. Ensure the availability of features that support the production of accessible content
• B.4.2. Ensure that documentation promotes the production of accessible content
ATAG 2.0: Automating Accessibility
• Authoring tools need to support accessibility in the same way as they support
correct syntax and spelling:
ATAG 2.0: Automating Accessibility
• In case people think developers aren’t paying attention (from the iPhone
Accessibility Programming Guide)….
UAAG 2.0
• Version 1.0 was published in 2002.
• Version 2.0 is in progress.
• Appliers to:
• Browsers
• Media players
• Web-based user agents
UAAG 2.0: Supports WCAG
• UAAG 2.0 supports WCAG 2.0 but because it gives guidance to user agents
rendering any Web content, it cannot assume WCAG requirements have been
followed.
UAAG 2.0: Principles
• PRINCIPLE 1: Perceivable
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Guideline 1.1: Alternative content
Guideline 1.2: Missing content
Guideline 1.3: Highlighting
Guideline 1.4: Text configuration
Guideline 1.5: Volume configuration
Guideline 1.6: Synthesized speech configuration
Guideline 1.7: Style sheets configuration
Guideline 1.8: Viewports
Guideline 1.9: Focus
Guideline 1.10: Source views
Guideline 1.11: Element Information
UAAG 2.0: Principles
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• PRINCIPLE 2. Operable
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Guideline 2.1: Keyboard access
Guideline 2.2: Sequential navigation
Guideline 2.3: Direct navigation and activation
Guideline 2.4: Search
Guideline 2.5: Structured navigation
Guideline 2.6: Event handlers
Guideline 2.7: Preference settings
Guideline 2.8: Toolbar configuration
Guideline 2.9: Time-independence
Guideline 2.10: Flashing
Guideline 2.11: Media
UAAG 2.0: Principles
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• PRINCIPLE 3: Understandable
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Guideline 3.1: Unnecessary messages
Guideline 3.2: Mistakes
Guideline 3.3: Documentation
Guideline 3.4: Predictable
• PRINCIPLE 4. Programmatic access
• Guideline 4.1: Assistive technology
• Guideline 4.2: Nested user agents
• PRINCIPLE 5. Specifications and conventions
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Guideline 5.1: Desktop apps
Guideline 5.2: Web & web apps
Guideline 5.3: Accessibility features
Guideline 5.4: Follow specifications
Standards: Future-Proof?
• Standard-setting is to some extent an attempt to predict the future.
• W3C-WAI Guidelines attempt to cope by avoiding requirements around
specific technologies and keeping requirements functional.
Thank You
• Questions?