Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is not about disability, it is about universality!
Types of Access Needs
Language => simple language, describing imagery
Mobility => keyboard, dictation
Hearing => text or sign language
Vision => legibility, contrast, color, magnification, decribed images, narrations for video, headings, structured code for screen readers.
Accessibility Checklist
#1 Headings well named and structured
#2 Links in an obvious way
- Don’t repeat the same link text
- Don’t use "read more" or "click here". Instead, make it say "read more news"…etc
- Heading of the section as link instead of "read more".
- Use meaningful and explaining words to name links.
- Warn when links will open a document file.
#3 Write content that makes sense.
- Simple language
- Font-size Large
- Tables & Columns to present data
#4 Decribe what the images are, mean or contain
- Use a short ALT decription for each image
- "logo" for Logos
- " " for decoration images
- Use ALT to point to longer description in body text
- Mention the image format only if it’s important
#5 Text in Images is not always ok
#6 Offer a ‘Plan B’ for your Media
- Captions in videos, or Transcripts beneath videos
- Embed Sign-language in videos if possible
- Subtitles for foreign speakers
- Audio Translation
- Provide users enough time to read and use content
#7 Use the same tips for those documents you’re uploading…
#9 Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures: anything that flashes more than three times in any one second (Level AAA).
#10 Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are. (Navs, sitemaps and bread crumbs [trees] )
#11 Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
#12 Color Contrast (AA minimum ratio 4.5:1, AAA enhanced ratio 7:1) for the visual presentation of text, except for Large Text, Decorative Text and Logotypes.
#13 Resizable Text without the loss of content or functionality
#14 Audio: does not contain / contains low background sounds, and can be turned off.
#15 Images of Text: If the technologies being used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey information rather than images of text except for the following: (Level AA)
#16 Line spacing is at least space-and-a-half within paragraphs, and paragraph spacing is at least 1.5 times larger than the line spacing.
#17 Text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent in a way that does not require the user to scroll horizontally to read a line of text on a full-screen window
#18 Provide time control over time-based media (Level A). Timing is not an essential part of the content (Level AAA).
#19 When an authenticated session expires, the user can continue the activity without loss of data after re-authenticating. (Level AAA)
#20 Ease the reading of challenging content; Unusual Words, Abbreviations, Reading Level, Pronunciation
#21 No errors in code
Forms
- Input name must describe its purpose
- On Input: Changes of context are initiated only by user request. (Level AAA)
- Error Identification: error is described to the user in text. (Level A)
- Labels or Instructions are provided when content requires user input. (Level A) Submissions are reversible
- Checked: Data entered by the user is checked for input errors and the user is provided an opportunity to correct them.