Simplified Protocol for WCAG 2.0 AA Assessment
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Simplified Protocol for WCAG 2.0 AA Assessment
Revised February 22, 2017
This simplified protocol for evaluating Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA was developed by Michigan State University Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting (UARC). This document is intended to provide simplified language and basic protocols to evaluate WCAG 2.0 AA compliance; it is not a substitute for the official guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Conformance Requirement and Success Criteria language has been simplified and summarized to be more easily understood by reviewers, and is not intended to be complete or comprehensive (official WCAG 2.0 language is provided at the end of this document). Success Criteria have been grouped into general conceptual categories to facilitate evaluations. Following this protocol does not guarantee or certify accessibility nor fulfillment of WCAG 2.0 AA specifications, which should be consulted in their entirety at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/. Blank columns are provided for reviewers to indicate whether or not requirements have been met and to provide notes regarding violations.
Online Resources
· World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): http://www.w3.org/
o Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI): http://www.w3.org/WAI/
o Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0: http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/
§ WCAG 2.0 Overview: http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag.php
o Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) 1.0: https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria/
§ WAI-ARIA Overview: http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/aria
· Michigan State University (MSU) Web Accessibility: http://webaccess.msu.edu/
· MSU Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting (UARC): http://usability.msu.edu/
· Web Accessibility In Mind (WebAIM): http://webaim.org/
Conformance
# / Conformance Requirement (Simplified) / Protocol / Notes / Met /1 / Conformance Level: Conformance Level A requires that all Level A Success Criteria be met. Conformance level AA requires that all Level A and AA Success Criteria be met. Conformance Level AAA requires that all Level A, AA, and AAA Success Criteria be met. / Assign Conformance Level A if all level A Success Criteria are successfully met. Assign Conformance Level AA if all level A and level AA Success Criteria are successfully met.
2 / Full Pages: Conformance is determined for full pages, not parts of pages (i.e., the page is the smallest unit of analysis). / Evaluate entire web pages, not parts of pages.
3 / Complete Processes: The lowest conformance level given to a page that is part of a process is given to all pages in that process (i.e., when a page is part of a process, the process, not the page, is the unit of analysis). / If a web page is part of a process, check them all and consider them to be a single unit for the purposes of assigning a Conformance Level.
4 / Only Accessibility-Supported Ways of Using Technologies: Assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, keyboards) must be fully supported in the compliance/satisfaction of any and all Success Criteria. / When checking all Success Criteria, confirm that they are met when using a screen reader and when using only a keyboard.
5 / Non-Interference: Parts of a page that are not accessible (even if they qualify as exceptions) cannot interfere with the rest of the page. Success Criteria 1.4.2, 2.1.2, 2.3.1, and 2.2.2 apply to all parts of a page, with no exceptions. Turning off or on non-essential technologies cannot cause interference when using the page. / Confirm that allowed exceptions do not interfere with the rest of a page, and check all elements for Success Criteria 1.4.2, 2.1.2, 2.3.1, and 2.2.2 (allowing no exceptions).
Document Structure
# / Success Criteria (Simplified) / Protocol / Notes / Met /1.3.1 (A) / Info and Relationships: Visual information, structure, and relationships must be evident in the code or presented in text. / Confirm that all visual information and relationships are properly marked and clear in the code. This includes headings, lists, paragraphs, tables, labels, and any other element with a structure or relationship that can be understood visually. Confirm that headings are appropriately coded and nested.
1.3.2 (A) / Meaningful Sequence: If the order of content affects its meaning, it must be evident in the code. / Confirm that screen readers read content in an appropriate order when the order is important or conveys meaning.
2.4.2 (A) / Page Titled: Pages must have descriptive titles. / Confirm that all pages have a meaningful and descriptive title.
2.4.6 (AA) / Headings and Labels: Headings and labels must be descriptive. / Confirm that headings and labels are accurate, descriptive, and meaningful.
3.1.1 (A) / Language of Page: The human language (e.g., English) of the page must be properly documented in the code. / Confirm that the correct human language (e.g., English) of the page is indicated in the code.
3.1.2 (AA) / Language of Parts: The human language (e.g., Spanish) must be properly documented in the code for words, phrases, and blocks of text that differ in origin from the rest of the page text, unless they are proper names, technical terms, of indeterminate language, or are part of the vernacular in context. / Confirm that the human language of content that differs from the rest of the page is indicated in the code, unless it is a proper name, technical term, or part of the vernacular.
4.1.1 (A) / Parsing: Code (e.g., HTML, CSS) must be valid. / Confirm that all code is valid (for HTML and CSS, use official W3C validators).
Keyboard Support
# / Success Criteria (Simplified) / Protocol / Notes / Met /2.1.1 (A) / Keyboard: Pages are fully functional using only a keyboard and specific keystroke timings cannot be required. Exceptions are made when path-dependent input is necessary (e.g., freehand drawing). / Confirm that all page content and functions can be operated using only the keyboard and without specific keystroke timings, with and without a screen reader in use.
2.1.2 (A) / No Keyboard Trap: Any element that can be reached via keyboard must be able to be left via keyboard. / Confirm that users can use the keyboard to navigate out of any element they can navigate into using the keyboard, and that they are advised if non-standard keystrokes are required to do so.
2.4.3 (A) / Focus Order: Focus order (e.g., navigating using the Tab key) must make sense when it affects meaning/operation. / Confirm that focus order (i.e., using the Tab key to move between interactive elements) is appropriate and preserves meaning and functionality. Confirm that inactive portions of a page cannot be reached via keyboard (e.g., when a lightbox is present that disables/covers the rest of a page, focus does not move to the page behind the lightbox).
2.4.7 (AA) / Focus Visible: Focus location (e.g., Tab focus) must be visible to the user. / Confirm that focus is clearly visible (or can be easily made visible) for all keyboard-operable elements. Tab through the page and ensure that focus is always visible.
3.2.1 (A) / On Focus: Focus shifts (e.g., hitting the Tab key) cannot cause major changes in content or context (including changes to focus, or to content that affects meaning). / Confirm that changing focus (e.g., via the Tab key) does not automatically trigger major changes to content or context, or changes in focus.
3.2.2 (A) / On Input: Modifying user inputs (e.g., checkboxes, text boxes) cannot automatically cause major changes in content or context (including changes to focus, or to content that affects meaning) unless the user is warned beforehand. / Confirm that changing input values does not unexpectedly cause major changes to content or context, or changes in focus.
Navigation
# / Success Criteria (Simplified) / Protocol / Notes / Met /2.4.1 (A) / Bypass Blocks: Mechanisms (e.g., headings or skip links) to skip repeated blocks of content (e.g., navbars) must be available. / Confirm that navigation and repeated blocks of content can be skipped via keyboard (e.g., via an H1 at the start of unique page content or a link before repeated content that directs focus to the start of unique content).
2.4.4 (A) / Link Purpose (In Context): Link targets must be obvious from the immediate context. / Confirm that link targets are clear from the link text or the surrounding context.
2.4.5 (AA) / Multiple Ways: Pages that are part of a set (but not a step in or result of a process) must be reachable in more than one way (e.g., links, navbar entries, site map, search, etc.) unless the site only contains a few pages. / Confirm that there are multiple ways to reach a page that is part of a set, unless it is a step in or result of a process, or the site contains less than 5 pages.
3.2.3 (AA) / Consistent Navigation: Repeated navigation (e.g., navbars) must be in the same relative order on all pages that are part of a set. / Confirm that navigation elements are in the same order in all pages that are part of a set.
3.2.4 (AA) / Consistent Identification: Functionally-equivalent elements (e.g., links, buttons, controls) must be labeled consistently on all pages that are part of a set. / Confirm that functionally-equivalent elements are identified consistently (e.g., links, buttons, controls).
Images
# / Success Criteria (Simplified) / Protocol / Notes / Met /1.1.1 (A) / Non-text Content: All non-text content (images, videos, audio, etc.) must be paired with an equivalent text alternative. UI controls must have names, and time-based media and non-informational sensory content (e.g., music, art) must be descriptively identified. Exceptions are made for purely decorative content, CAPTCHAs, and test items that would be invalid with text alternatives. / Confirm that all non-text content (images, audio, video, animations, buttons, etc.) has a text alternative with equivalent information, unless it is purely decorative, a test item that would be invalid with a text alternative, or a CAPTCHA. For content that is intended to create a specific sensory experience that is not informational (e.g., music and visual art) and for time-based media, descriptive identification is required, and for UI controls, descriptive names are required (rather than fully equivalent alternative text). Confirm that purely decorative non-text content does not have a text alternative (alt="" for HTML). Confirm that screen readers are provided with all text alternatives.
1.4.5 (AA) / Images of Text: Text must be used instead of images of text unless a certain presentation is required and is not otherwise possible, or the text is customizable. / Confirm that images of text are not used unless a specific visual style is essential and cannot be accomplished via styled text.
Color and Visual Characteristics
# / Success Criteria (Simplified) / Protocol / Notes / Met /1.3.3 (A) / Sensory Characteristics: Instructions cannot depend on a visual or auditory characteristic (e.g., color, location, sound, etc. cannot be the only way to identify specific items). / Confirm that instructions do not depend on visual (e.g., color, location, shape, size, orientation, etc.) or auditory characteristics.
1.4.1 (A) / Use of Color: Color cannot be the only way to distinguish or indicate something (e.g., must use redundant text, symbols, or code). / Confirm that color alone is not used to convey information.
1.4.3 (AA) / Contrast (Minimum): Text must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against the background. Large text (18pt or 14pt bold) must have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1. Exceptions are made for logos, purely decorative text, inactive elements, or part of a picture with significant other visual content. / Confirm that all text and images of text have sufficient contrast against the background (4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text), or that the page provides a means for the user to increase the contrast to the required levels. Exceptions are made for logos, purely decorative text, inactive elements, or part of a picture with significant other visual content.
1.4.4 (AA) / Resize text: Text must resizable without breaking layout or functionality, except for captions or images of text. / Confirm that text can be doubled in size (i.e., page zoomed to 200%) without breaking functionality or understandability, except for captions or images of text.
2.3.1 (A) / Three Flashes or Below Threshold: No content flashes more than 3 times per second. / Confirm that no content flashes more than 3 times per second.
Forms and Data Submission
# / Success Criteria (Simplified) / Protocol / Notes / Met /3.3.1 (A) / Error Identification: Errors (e.g., when users fill out forms) must be identified and described in text. / Confirm that input errors are identified in text and that sufficient information is provided for users to recover. Confirm that error information is provided to screen readers, and that error information is associated with input fields that contain errors.
3.3.2 (A) / Labels or Instructions: Input fields (e.g., text boxes, checkboxes, dropdowns) must be labeled or have instructions. / Confirm that visual labels or instructions are provided for all inputs, and that they are read out by screen readers.
3.3.3 (AA) / Error Suggestion: Errors (e.g., when users fill out forms) must have suggested solutions (if known), unless security or purpose would be compromised by doing so. / Confirm that suggestions (when known) are automatically provided to help users resolve input errors, unless security or purpose would be compromised.
3.3.4 (AA) / Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data): If a user can enter into a legal or financial commitment/contract or enter/modify stored data, they must be able to manually review and correct errors, reverse the submission, or have the data automatically checked for errors (and be able to make corrections if errors are found). / Confirm that users can review, correct, check, or reverse the submission of any legal or financial information, or user-controllable data.
Audio and Video Media
# / Success Criteria (Simplified) / Protocol / Notes / Met /1.2.1 (A) / Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded): Prerecorded audio without video and video without audio must have text alternatives (e.g., transcripts, written descriptions) or audio track with descriptions (for video). / Confirm that a text transcript/description is present for all audio-only content, and that an audio or text transcript/description is available for all video-only content.
1.2.2 (A) / Captions (Prerecorded): Prerecorded audio in synchronized content (e.g., video, etc.) must be captioned, except when the audio is provided exclusively as an alternative to text. / Confirm that all prerecorded audio in in videos, presentations, etc. is captioned, unless it is an alternative to text.
1.2.3 (A) / Audio Descriptions or Media Alternative (Prerecorded): Time-based media (e.g., prerecorded video, slideshows, etc.) must have a written or audio descriptions of visual activity/content. / Confirm that text or audio descriptions are present for videos and other time-based media (e.g., slideshows, etc.).
1.2.4 (AA) / Captions (Live): Live audio synchronized with another format (e.g., video, slideshow, etc.) must be captioned in real time. / Confirm that all live audio in videos, slideshows, etc. is captioned.
1.2.5 (AA) / Audio Description (Prerecorded): Prerecorded video must have audio or text descriptions of visual activity/content. / Confirm that audio or text descriptions of meaningful visual content are provided for all prerecorded videos.
1.4.2 (A) / Audio Control: All audio that plays for more than 3 seconds must have controls (pause, stop, or volume). / Confirm that controls are present to stop, pause, or change the volume (independent of system volume) of any audio that plays for more than 3 seconds. Confirm that controls can be accessed via keyboard and screen reader.
Custom Elements and Dynamic Content