This document, which accompanies the "WAI Page Author Guidelines",
is a checklist for authors. Each checkpoint in the guidelines
appears in the checklist below, organized by concept.
This is a W3C Working Draft for review by W3C members and other
interested parties. It is a draft document and may be updated,
replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is
inappropriate to use W3C Working Drafts as reference material or to
cite them as other than "work in progress". This is work in
progress and does not imply endorsement by, or the consensus of,
either W3C or members of the WAI GL Working Group.
Checkpoint | Yes | No | N/A |
A.6.1 Nest headings properly (e.g., in HTML, H1 - H6). [Priority 2]
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A.6.2 Encode list structure and list items properly (e.g., in HTML: UL, OL, DL, LI). [Priority 2]
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A.6.3 Mark up quotations (e.g., with the Q and BLOCKQUOTE elements in HTML). Do not use quotation markup for formatting effects such as indentation. [Priority 2]
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A.6.4 Use style sheets to control layout and presentation wherever possible as soon as a majority of browsers in use support them well (See also A.9). Until then, simple tables (to control layout) and bitmap text with alt-text (for special text effects) may be used, with alternative pages used as necessary to ensure that the information on the page is accessible (See also A.14). [Priority 2]
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A.6.5 Use relative sizing and positioning (e.g., percent values) rather than absolute (e.g., pixel or point values). [Priority 2]
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A.7.1 Clearly identify changes in the language of text (e.g., the HTML "lang" attribute). [Priority 2]
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A.7.2 Specify the expansion of abbreviations and acronyms (e.g., with the "title" attribute of the HTML ABBR or ACRONYM elements). [Priority 2]
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A.14.1 If W3C technologies are used, use the latest W3C specification whenever possible. [Priority 2]
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A.14.2 If W3C technologies are used, avoid deprecated language features whenever possible. [Priority 2]
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B.2.1 Wherever possible, make link phrases as terse as possible yet as meaningful as possible when read on their own or in succession. Avoid non-meaningful phrases, such as "click here." [Priority 2]
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B.3.1 Use the simplest and most straightforward language that is possible for the content of your site. [Priority 2]
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Checkpoint | Yes | No | N/A |
A.12.3 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects (e.g., in HTML, via the "tabindex" attribute or through logical page design). [Priority 3]
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A.12.4 Provide keyboard shortcuts to links, including those in client-side image maps, form controls, and groups of form controls (e.g., in HTML, via the "accesskey" attribute). [Priority 3]
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A.14.4 When linking to resources that are not W3C technologies, indicate what type of resource you are linking to. For example, to link to a PDF file from an HTML document, set the "type" attribute to "application/pdf" on the A element. [Priority 3]
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B.2.2 Use a clear, consistent navigation structure. [Priority 3]
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B.2.3 Offer navigation bars for easy access to the navigation structure. [Priority 3]
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B.2.4 Offer a site map. [Priority 3]
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B.2.5 Provide a description of the general layout of the site, the access features used, and how to use them. [Priority 3]
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B.2.6 Offer different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences. [Priority 3]
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B.2.7 Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc. [Priority 3]
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B.2.8 Facilitate off-line browsing by creating a single downloadable file for documents that exist as a series of separate pages (e.g., by using the HTML LINK element, or creating a "zip" archive). [Priority 3]
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B.2.9 Group related links, such as links used to create a navigation bar, and attach a meaningful title on the element creating the group (e.g., in HTML use "title" on FRAME, DIV, SPAN, etc. Use class="nav" on elements creating navigation groups). [Priority 3]
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B.2.10 Provide a link at the beginning of a group of related links to bypass the group. [Priority 3]
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B.3.2 Use icons or graphics (with alternative text) where they facilitate comprehension of the page. [Priority 3]
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B.3.3 Create a consistent style of presentation between pages. [Priority 3]
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Checkpoint | Yes | No | N/A |
A.1.1 Provide alternative text for all images (e.g., in HTML, via the "alt" attribute of the IMG and INPUT elements, or via "title" or within the content of OBJECT). Note. This includes images used as image maps, spacers, bullets in lists, graphical buttons and links. [Priority 1]
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A.1.3 For all image map links, provide alternative text for each link (e.g., via the "alt" attribute of HTML AREA element). [Priority 1]
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A.1.6 Replace ASCII art with an image and alternative text. [Priority 1] or [Priority 2] depending on the importance of the information (e.g., an important chart). Note. If the description of (important) ASCII art is long, provide a description in addition to alternative text. (See also A.2)
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A.2.1 Provide a long description of all graphics, scripts, or applets that convey important information (e.g., in HTML, via "longdesc" on IMG, with a d-link (or an invisible d-link), or as content of OBJECT). [Priority 1]
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A.12.1 For image maps, provide alternative text for links. (See also A.1) [Priority 1]
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No checkpoints.
Checkpoint | Yes | No | N/A |
A.8.2 Identify headers for rows and columns (e.g., the HTML TD and TH elements). [Priority 2]
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A.8.3 Where tables have structural divisions beyond those implicit in the rows and columns, use markup to identify those divisions (e.g., in HTML, THEAD, TFOOT, TBODY, COLGROUP, the "axis", "scope", and "headers" attributes, etc.). [Priority 2]
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A.13.5 Until user agents and screen readers are able to handle text presented side-by-side, all tables that lay out text in parallel, word-wrapped columns require a linear text alternative (on the current page or some other). [Priority 2]
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No checkpoints.
No checkpoints.
Checkpoint | Yes | No | N/A |
A.9.5 For applets and programmatic objects, when possible provide an alternative function or presentation in a format other than an applet. For example, a canned "mpeg" movie of a physics simulation (written in Java) or a single frame of the animation saved as a "gif" image. [Priority 2]
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A.10.3 Movement should be avoided when possible, but if it must be used, provide a mechanism to allow users to freeze motion or updates in applets and scripts or use style sheets and scripting to create movement. (See also A.11) [Priority 2]
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A.11.1 Where possible, make programmatic elements, such as scripts and applets, directly accessible. (See also A.9). [Priority 1] if information or functionality is important, and not presented elsewhere, otherwise [Priority 2].
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A.12.2 If possible, ensure that all elements that have their own interface are keyboard operable. (See also A.12) [Priority 2]
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A.13.1 Do not use pop-up windows, new windows, or change active window unless the user is aware that this is happening. [Priority 2]
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No checkpoints.
Checkpoint | Yes | No | N/A |
A.3.1 For stand-alone audio files, provide a textual transcript of all words spoken or sung as well as all significant sounds. [Priority 1]
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A.3.2 For audio associated with video, provide a textual transcript (of dialog and sounds) synchronized with the video (e.g., captions). [Priority 1]
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A.3.3 Where sounds are played automatically, provide visual notification and transcripts. [Priority 1] or [Priority 2] depending on the importance of the sound.
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A.4.1 For short animations such as animated "gifs" images, provide alternative text (See also A.1) and a long description (See also A.2) if needed. [Priority 1]
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A.4.2 For movies, provide auditory descriptions that are synchronized with the original audio. [Priority 1]
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No checkpoints.
No checkpoints.
No checkpoints.