The Silver Design Principles are based on the requirements of WCAG 2.0 and build on those requirements to meet needs identified in the Silver research.

Accessibility guidelines should:

1. Support the needs of a wide range of people with disabilities and recognize that people have individual and multiple needs.
2. Support a measurement and conformance structure that includes guidance for a broad range of disabilities. This includes particular attention to the needs of low vision and cognitive accessibility.
3. Be flexible enough to support the needs of people with disabilities and keep up with emerging technologies. The information structure allows guidance to be added or removed.
4. Be accessible and conform to the Guidelines.Note: This design principle will move to the Requirements section once the Conformance section is completed and we determine a specific measurement of compliance..
5. Be written in plain language, as easy as possible to understand. We need a definition of plain language that includes the easy of translation. Ideally, it will be a broadly accepted definition internationally.

The creation process for the guidelines should:

6. Actively recruit a diverse range of people with disabilities to recognize the importance of their contributions to accessibility standards and solutions. Review and monitor whether people are included. Continually evaluate inclusive features of available tooling and procedures.
7. Facilitate global participation and feedback.
8. Be data-informed and evidence-based, recognizing that research may be limited or have small sample sizes. Research results for large groups of people with disabilities should not override the needs of smaller groups. When in doubt, see Design Principle 1. The intent is to make informed decisions wherever possible. For example, new Methods submitted by the public could require user research test results.
9. [new] Be written so the Guideline content is used in adaptable and customizable ways. For example, Silver content is available to be extracted by users to adapt to their needs.
10. [new]Improve the ability to support automated testing where appropriate and provide a procedure for repeatable tests when manual testing is appropriate.

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3.1 Multiple ways to measure

All Silver guidance has tests or procedures so that the results can be verified. In addition to the current true/false success criteria, other ways of measuring (for example, rubrics, sliding scale, task-completion, user research with people with disabilities, and more) are available where appropriate so that more needs of people with disabilities can be included.

3.2 Flexible maintenance and extensibility

Create a maintenance and extensibility model for guidelines that can better meet the needs of people with disabilities using emerging technologies and interactions. The process of developing the guidance includes experts in the technology.

3.3 Multiple ways to display

Make the guidelines available in different accessible and usable ways or formats so the guidance can be customized by and for different audiences.

3.4 Technology Neutral

Core guidelines are user-centric. Methods are technology-centric. The core guidelines are worded to apply across varied technologies and avoid being technology-specific. The intent of technology-neutral wording is to provide the opportunity to apply the core guidelines to current and emerging technology, even if the technical advice doesn't yet exist. Technical details are discoverable in the Methods but are not required to understand guidelines.

3.5 Readability/Usability

The core guidelines are understandable by a non-technical audience. Text and presentation are usable and understandable through the use of plain language, structure, and design.

3.6 Regulatory Environment

The Guidelines provide broad support, including

• Structure, methodology, and content that facilitates adoption into law, regulation, or policy, and
• clear intent and transparency as to purpose and goals, to assist when there are questions or controversy.

3.7 Motivation

The Guidelines motivate organizations to go beyond minimal accessibility requirements by providing a scoring system that rewards organizations which demonstrate a greater effort to improve accessibility.

3.8 Scope

The guidelines provide guidance for people and organizations that produce digital assets and technology of varying size and complexity. Our intent is to provide guidance for a diverse group of stakeholders including content creators, browsers, authoring tools, assistive technologies, and more.

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