Understanding WCAG 2 is an essential guide to understanding and using "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2". Although the normative definition and requirements for WCAG 2 can all be found in the WCAG 2 document itself, the concepts and provisions may be new to some people. Understanding WCAG 2 provides a non-normative extended commentary on each guideline and each success criterion to help readers better understand the intent and how the guidelines and success criteria work together. It also provides examples of techniques or combinations of techniques that the Working Group has identified as being sufficient to meet each success criterion. Links are then provided to write-ups for each of the techniques.
+Understanding WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} is an essential guide to understanding and using "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines {{ versionDecimal }}". Although the normative definition and requirements for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} can all be found in the WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} document itself, the concepts and provisions may be new to some people. Understanding WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} provides a non-normative extended commentary on each guideline and each success criterion to help readers better understand the intent and how the guidelines and success criteria work together. It also provides examples of techniques or combinations of techniques that the Working Group has identified as being sufficient to meet each success criterion. Links are then provided to write-ups for each of the techniques.
This is not an introductory document. It is a detailed technical description of the guidelines and their success criteria. See Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview for an introduction to WCAG, supporting technical documents, and educational material.
-Understanding WCAG 2 is organized by guideline. There is an Understanding Guideline X.X section for each guideline. The intent and any advisory techniques that are related to the guideline but not specifically related to any of its success criteria are listed there as well.
+Understanding WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} is organized by guideline. There is an Understanding Guideline X.X section for each guideline. The intent and any advisory techniques that are related to the guideline but not specifically related to any of its success criteria are listed there as well.
The Understanding Guidelines X.X section is then followed by an Understanding success criterion X.X.X section for each success criterion of that guideline. These sections each contain:
The success criterion as it appears in WCAG 2
+The success criterion as it appears in WCAG {{ versionDecimal }}
Intent of the success criterion
@@ -35,11 +35,11 @@Additional advisory techniques that go beyond what is required to meet the success criterion but can be used to make some or all types of content more accessible. Use of advisory techniques does not impact the level of conformance claimed.
Key terms for this success criterion (taken from the WCAG 2 Glossary)
+Key terms for this success criterion (taken from the WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} Glossary)
Links are provided from each Guideline in WCAG 2 directly to each Understanding Guideline X.X in this document. Similarly, there is a link from each success criterion in WCAG 2 to the Understanding Success Criterion X.X.X section in this document.
-For information about individual techniques, follow the links throughout this document to the techniques of interest in the Techniques for WCAG 2 document.
+Links are provided from each Guideline in WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} directly to each Understanding Guideline X.X in this document. Similarly, there is a link from each success criterion in WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} to the Understanding Success Criterion X.X.X section in this document.
+For information about individual techniques, follow the links throughout this document to the techniques of interest in the Techniques for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} document.
For links to information on different disabilities and assistive technologies see Disabilities on Wikipedia.
If any of these are not true, users with disabilities will not be able to use the Web.
-Under each of the principles are guidelines and success criteria that help to address these principles for people with disabilities. There are many general usability guidelines that make content more usable by all people, including those with disabilities. However, in WCAG 2, we only include those guidelines that address problems particular to people with disabilities. This includes issues that block access or interfere with access to the Web more severely for people with disabilities.
+Under each of the principles are guidelines and success criteria that help to address these principles for people with disabilities. There are many general usability guidelines that make content more usable by all people, including those with disabilities. However, in WCAG {{ versionDecimal }}, we only include those guidelines that address problems particular to people with disabilities. This includes issues that block access or interfere with access to the Web more severely for people with disabilities.
Under each principle there is a list of guidelines that address the principle. There are a total of 13 guidelines. A convenient list of just the guidelines can be found in the WCAG 2 table of contents. One of the key objectives of the guidelines is to ensure that content is directly accessible to as many people as possible, and capable of being re-presented in different forms to match different peoples' sensory, physical and cognitive abilities.
+Under each principle there is a list of guidelines that address the principle. There are a total of 13 guidelines. A convenient list of just the guidelines can be found in the WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} table of contents. One of the key objectives of the guidelines is to ensure that content is directly accessible to as many people as possible, and capable of being re-presented in different forms to match different peoples' sensory, physical and cognitive abilities.
Under each guideline, there are success criteria that describe specifically what must be achieved in order to conform to this standard. They are similar to the "checkpoints" in WCAG 1.0. Each success criterion is written as a statement that will be either true or false when specific Web content is tested against it. The success criteria are written to be technology neutral.
-All WCAG 2 success criteria are written as testable criteria for objectively determining if content satisfies the success criteria. While some of the testing can be automated using software evaluation programs, others require human testers for part or all of the test.
+All WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} success criteria are written as testable criteria for objectively determining if content satisfies the success criteria. While some of the testing can be automated using software evaluation programs, others require human testers for part or all of the test.
Although content may satisfy the success criteria, the content may not always be usable by people with a wide variety of disabilities. Professional reviews utilizing recognized qualitative heuristics are important in achieving accessibility for some audiences. In addition, usability testing is recommended. Usability testing aims to determine how well people can use the content for its intended purpose.
The content should be tested by those who understand how people with different types of disabilities use the Web. It is recommended that users with disabilities be included in test groups when performing human testing.
Each success criterion for a guideline has a link to the section of the How to Meet document that provides:
diff --git a/understanding/understanding-techniques.html b/understanding/understanding-techniques.html index 9332ed5fee..c4b3322563 100644 --- a/understanding/understanding-techniques.html +++ b/understanding/understanding-techniques.html @@ -1,13 +1,13 @@ -WCAG 2 guidelines and success criteria are designed to be broadly applicable to current and future web technologies, including dynamic applications, mobile, digital television, etc. They are stable and do not change.
-Specific guidance for authors and evaluators on meeting the WCAG 2 success criteria is provided in techniques, which include code examples, resources, and tests. W3C's Techniques for WCAG 2 document is updated periodically, about twice per year, to cover more current best practices and changes in technologies and tools.
-The three types of guidance in Techniques for WCAG 2 are explained below:
+WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} guidelines and success criteria are designed to be broadly applicable to current and future web technologies, including dynamic applications, mobile, digital television, etc. They are stable and do not change.
+Specific guidance for authors and evaluators on meeting the WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} success criteria is provided in techniques, which include code examples, resources, and tests. W3C's Techniques for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} document is updated periodically, about twice per year, to cover more current best practices and changes in technologies and tools.
+The three types of guidance in Techniques for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} are explained below:
Understanding Conformance provides related information, including on understanding accessibility support.
Techniques are informative — that means they are not required. The basis for determining conformance to WCAG 2 are the success criteria from the WCAG 2 standard — not the techniques.
-Note 1: W3C cautions against requiring W3C's sufficient techniques. The only thing that should be required is meeting the WCAG 2 success criteria. To learn more, see:
+Techniques are informative — that means they are not required. The basis for determining conformance to WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} are the success criteria from the WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} standard — not the techniques.
+Note 1: W3C cautions against requiring W3C's sufficient techniques. The only thing that should be required is meeting the WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} success criteria. To learn more, see:
What would be the negative consequences of allowing only W3C's published techniques to be used for conformance to WCAG 2? in the WCAG 2 FAQ
Note 2: Techniques for WCAG 2 uses the words "must" and "should" only to clarify guidance within the techniques, not to convey requirements for WCAG 2.
+Note 2: Techniques for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} uses the words "must" and "should" only to clarify guidance within the techniques, not to convey requirements for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }}.
From an evaluator's perspective: If web content implements the sufficient techniques for a given criterion correctly and it is accessibility-supported for the content's users, it conforms to that success criterion. (The converse is not true; if content does not implement these sufficient techniques, it does not necessarily fail the success criteria, as explained in Testing Techniques below.)
There may be other ways to meet success criteria besides the sufficient techniques in W3C's Techniques for WCAG 2 document, as explained in Other Techniques below. (See also Techniques are Informative above.)
+There may be other ways to meet success criteria besides the sufficient techniques in W3C's Techniques for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} document, as explained in Other Techniques below. (See also Techniques are Informative above.)
The W3C-documented sufficient techniques are provided in a numbered list where each list item provides a technique or combination of techniques that can be used to meet the success criterion. Where there are multiple techniques on a numbered list item connected by "AND" then all of the techniques must be used to be sufficient. For example, Sufficient Techniques for 1.3.1 has: "G115: Using semantic elements to mark up structure AND H49: Using semantic markup to mark emphasized or special text (HTML)".
@@ -72,35 +72,35 @@Authors to know what to avoid,
Evaluators to use for checking if content does not meet WCAG 2 success criteria.
+Evaluators to use for checking if content does not meet WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} success criteria.
Content that has a failure does not meet WCAG 2 success criteria, unless an alternate version is provided without the failure.
+Content that has a failure does not meet WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} success criteria, unless an alternate version is provided without the failure.
If anyone identifies a situation where a documented failure is not correct, please report the situation as a WCAG 2 comment so that it can be corrected or deleted as appropriate.
General techniques describe basic practices that apply to all technologies. Technology-specific techniques apply to a specific technology.
Some success criteria do not have technology-specific techniques and are covered only with general techniques. Therefore, both the general techniques and the relevant technology-specific techniques should be considered.
-Publication of techniques for a specific technology does not imply that the technology can be used in all situations to create content that meets WCAG 2 success criteria and conformance requirements. Developers need to be aware of the limitations of specific technologies and provide content in a way that is accessible to people with disabilities.
+Publication of techniques for a specific technology does not imply that the technology can be used in all situations to create content that meets WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} success criteria and conformance requirements. Developers need to be aware of the limitations of specific technologies and provide content in a way that is accessible to people with disabilities.
In addition to the techniques in W3C's Techniques for WCAG 2 document, there are other ways to meet WCAG 2 success criteria. W3C's techniques are not comprehensive and may not cover newer technologies and situations.
-Web content does not have to use W3C's published techniques in order to conform to WCAG 2. (See also Techniques are Informative above.)
-Content authors can develop different techniques. For example, an author could develop a technique for HTML5, WAI-ARIA, or other new technology. Other organizations may develop sets of techniques to meet WCAG 2 success criteria.
+In addition to the techniques in W3C's Techniques for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} document, there are other ways to meet WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} success criteria. W3C's techniques are not comprehensive and may not cover newer technologies and situations.
+Web content does not have to use W3C's published techniques in order to conform to WCAG {{ versionDecimal }}. (See also Techniques are Informative above.)
+Content authors can develop different techniques. For example, an author could develop a technique for HTML5, WAI-ARIA, or other new technology. Other organizations may develop sets of techniques to meet WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} success criteria.
Any techniques can be sufficient if:
they satisfy the success criterion, and
all of the WCAG 2 conformance requirements are met.
+all of the WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} conformance requirements are met.
The WCAG Working Group encourages people to submit new techniques so that they can be considered for inclusion in updates of the Techniques for WCAG 2 document. Please submit techniques for consideration to the WCAG repository on GitHub.
+The WCAG Working Group encourages people to submit new techniques so that they can be considered for inclusion in updates of the Techniques for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} document. Please submit techniques for consideration to the WCAG repository on GitHub.
Techniques for WCAG 2 is not intended to be used as a stand-alone document. Instead, it is expected that content authors will usually use How to Meet WCAG {{ versionDecimal }}: A customizable quick reference to read the WCAG 2 success criteria, and follow links from there to specific topics in Understanding WCAG 2 and to specific techniques.
+Techniques for WCAG {{ versionDecimal }} is not intended to be used as a stand-alone document. Instead, it is expected that content authors will usually use How to Meet WCAG {{ versionDecimal }}: A customizable quick reference to read the WCAG 2 success criteria, and follow links from there to specific topics in Understanding WCAG 2 and to specific techniques.
Some techniques describe how to provide alternate ways for users to get content. For example, G73: Providing a long description in another location... mentions a transcript as an alternative for an audio file. Some alternatives must also conform to WCAG 2. For example, the transcript itself must meet all relevant success criteria.
+Some techniques describe how to provide alternate ways for users to get content. For example, mentions a transcript as an alternative for an audio file. Some alternatives must also conform to WCAG 2. For example, the transcript itself must meet all relevant success criteria.