Draft: Mapping Comparison Between Section 508
and
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priorities
- This version:
- http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/508/508-UAAG.html
- Last modified:
- $Date: 2004/03/09 18:53:18 $
- Authors & Editors:
- Jim Allan, Texas School for
the Blind and Visually Impaired
- Katie Haritos-Shea
- Ian Jacobs, W3C
This document describes the comparison of the User Agent Accessibility
Guidelines (UAAG) 1.0 [UAAG10]
requirements, as they relate to the United States Workforce Investment Act of
1998. The Workforce Investment Act legislation includes the Rehabilitation Act
Amendments of 1998. It is Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments,
that requires US Federal agencies to ensure that the electronic and information
technology allows Federal employees with disabilities to use information and
data that is comparable to information and data used by Federal employees who
are not individuals with disabilities. Section 508 also requires that
individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking
information or services from a US Federal agency, have access to and use of
information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are
not individuals with disabilities.
User Agents (Browsers) clearly are governed by Subpart B of the
Technical Standards of Section 508 under § 1194.21 for software
applications and operating systems.Additionally, UAAG has relevance to §
1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications, in that
you must have a browser that supports (allows control of presentation) these
requirements. UAAG also has relevance to Subpart C - Functional Performance
Criteria (1194.31) and Subpart D Information, Documentation, and Support
(1194.41).
Please refer to some of the initial work on this comparison document of
the
User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 1.0 and
Section 508 of the US Workforce Investment Act of 1988 at:
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2001JanMar/0561
Source:
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2001JulSep/0272
Done:
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2001OctDec/0050
This document has been produced as a tool for developers to understand
where the 508 Requirements and UAAG 1.0 Requirements converge and depart. This
work is part of a suite of comparison documents being done by the User Agent
Accessibility Guidelines (UAWG) Working Group. These are
initial notes by the authors; this document does not represent Working Group
consensus.
This document is part of a series of accessibility documents published
by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C). WAI
Accessibility Guidelines are produced as part of the
WAI Technical Activity.
The goals of the User Agent Accessibility
Guidelines Working Group are described in the
charter.
Contents
How This Document is Organized
@@ *
Discussion here about how Software is the primary source in order followed by
the Web Requirements of 508, and how these two standards in unison are compared
to UAAG 1.0 Requirements * @@
- WCAG10: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0,
1999-5-5
WCAG
1.0
- WCAG20-Draft: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
2.0, 2001-0-0
WCAG 2.0
- ATAG10: Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines
1.0, 2000-02-03
ATAG
1.0
- UAAG10: Working Draft User Agent Accessibility
Guidelines, 2000-07-28
UAAG
1.0
508-21 (Software) v. UAAG 1.0
Requirements
1. Keyboard
Section 508 Software
- (a)
When software is designed to run on a system
that has a keyboard, product functions shall be executable
from a keyboard where the function itself or the result of performing a
function can be discerned textually.
Section 508 Web
- None
Comparison
-
Comment:
We * always
* require keyboard support
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
- 1.1
Full
keyboard access
Ensure that the user can operate the user agent fully
through keyboard input alone.
- Both content and user agent.
[Priority
1]
2. Operating Conventions
Section 508 Software
- (b)
Applications shall not disrupt or disable
activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility
features, where those features are developed and documented according to
industry standards. Applications also shall not disrupt or disable activated
features of any operating system that are identified as
accessibility features where the application programming interface for those
accessibility features has been documented by the manufacturer of the operating
system and is available to the product developer.
Section 508 Web
- None
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
7.1
Follow operating
environment conventions that benefit accessibility when implementing the
selection, content focus, and user interface focus.
[Priority 1]
7.2
Ensure that default input configurations do
not interfere with operating environment accessibility
conventions.
[Priority 1]
7.3
Follow operating
environment conventions that benefit accessibility. In particular, follow
conventions that benefit accessibility for user interface design, keyboard
configuration, product installation, and documentation.
[Priority ?]
7.4
Follow operating
environment conventions to indicate the input configuration.
[Priority 2]
3. Focus
Section 508 Software
- (c)
A well-defined on-screen indication of the
current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements
as the input focus changes. The focus shall be
programmatically exposed so that assistive technology can track focus and focus
changes
Section 508 Web
- None
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
6.5
Using standard APIs, provide programmatic
alert of changes to content, user interface controls, selection, content
focus, and user interface focus.
[Priority 1]
10.6
Provide a mechanism for highlighting the
selection and content focus. Allow the user to configure the
highlight styles. The highlight mechanism must not rely on color alone. For
graphical viewports, if the highlight mechanism involves colors or text
decorations, allow the user to choose from among the full range of colors or
text decorations supported by the operating environment.
[Priority 1]
4. User Interface Elements
Section 508 Software
- (d)
Sufficient information about a user
interface element including the identity, operation and state of the
element shall be available to assistive technology. When an
image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must
also be available in text
Section 508 Web
- None
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
1.2
Ensure that every message (e.g., prompt,
alert, notification, etc.) that is a non-text element and is
part of the user agent user interface has a text equivalent.
[Priority 1]
6.4
Provide programmatic read and write access
to user agent user interface controls.
[Priority 1]
5. Programmatic Elements
Section 508 Software
- (e)
When bitmap images are used to identify
controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements,
the meaning assigned to those images shall be consistent throughout an
application's performance.
Section 508 Web
- None
Comparison
-
Comment:
No corresponding
requirement. However, checkpoint 6.4
Programmatic operation, may have some relevance. Consistent
use and meaning of images still requires that users have access to these
controls in an accessible manner.
Also,consistency in the UI is probably
covered by checkpoint 7.3:
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
6.4
Programmatic operation.
- Provide programmatic read access to user agent user interface
controls.
- Provide programmatic write access for those controls that the
user can modify through the user interface. For security reasons, user agents
are not required to allow instructions in content to modify user agent user
interface controls. To satisfy these requirements, implement at least one API
that is either
* defined by a W3C Recommendation, or *
a publicly
documented API designed to enable interoperability with assistive
technologies.
- If no such API is available, or if available APIs do not enable
the user agent to satisfy the requirements, implement at least one publicly
documented API that allows programmatic operation of all of the functionalities
that are available through the user agent user interface, and follow operating
environment conventions for the use of input and output APIs
- An API is considered available if the specification of the API is
published (e.g., as a W3C Recommendation) in time for integration into a user
agent's development cycle.
[Priority 1]
7.3
Follow operating environment conventions
that benefit accessibility. In particular, follow conventions that benefit
accessibility for user interface design, keyboard configuration, product
installation, and documentation.
[Priority
2]
6. Text
Section 508 Software
- (f)
Textual information shall be provided
through operating system functions for displaying text. The
minimum information that shall be made available is text content, text input
caret location, and text attributes.
Section 508 Web
- (a)
A text equivalent for every
non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element
content).
Comparison
-
Comment:
The first thing that comes
to mind for text input is the address bar and form controls.
Both, allow the user to input text information or make selections. UAAG does
have requirements pertaining to "content focus" such as: focus and selection
conventions 7.1, input configuration 7.2,
highlight selection and content focus 10.2, and current user
binding 11.1. All of these checkpoints imply the user knows
where they (focus and selection) are in a v iewport and can interact (input
configuration and binding) with the content. An important text attribute is
"selection," that is, is the content selected or highlighted.
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
6.6
Implement standard accessibility APIs
(e.g., of the operating environment). Where these APIs do not enable the user
agent to satisfy the requirements of this document, use the standard input and
output APIs of the operating environment.
[Priority 1]
6.8
For an API implemented to satisfy
requirements of this document, support the character encodings required for
that API.
[Priority 1]
7.1
Focus and selection conventions.
Follow
operating environment conventions that benefit accessibility when implementing
the selection , content focus , and user interface focus.
[Priority 1]
7.2
Respect input configuration conventions.
Ensure that default input configurations of the user agent do not
interfere with operating environment accessibility conventions (e.g., for
keyboard accessibility).
[Priority
1]
10.2
Highlight selection and content focus.
- Provide a mechanism for highlighting the selection and content
focus of each viewport.
- The highlight mechanism must not rely on color alone.
- Allow global configuration of selection and focus highlight
styles.
- For graphical viewports, if the highlight mechanism involves
colors or text decorations , offer a range of colors or text
decorations to the user that includes at least:
*the range offered by the
conventional utility available in the operating environment that allows users
to choose colors or text decorations, *or,
if no such utility is available,
the range of colors or text decorations supported by the conventional APIs of
the operating environment for specifying colors or drawing text.
[Priority 1]
11.1
Current user bindings.
Provide
information to the user about current user preferences for input
configurations. To satisfy this checkpoint, the user agent may make available
binding information in a centralized fashion (e.g., a list of bindings) or a
distributed fashion (e.g., by listing keyboard shortcuts in user interface
menus).
[Priority 1]
7. Contrast and Color Selections
Section 508 Software
- (g)
Applications shall not override user
selected contrast and color selections and other individual
display attributes.
Section 508 Web
- None
Comparison
-
Comment:
The checkpoints of
Guideline 4 require configuration and control of color, text size, playback
rates, some audio characteristics, and some speech characteristics. The UAAG
checkpoint 7.3 Operating Environment Conventions requires the
user agent to follow operating environment conventions. These conventions while
also including input conventions (mouse keys, etc.) also cover the setting of
environment colors (foreground, background, selection, high
contrast mode, etc.). The user agent should not override these
user settings.
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
7.3
Operating environment conventions.
Follow operating environment conventions that benefit accessibility. In
particular, follow conventions that benefit accessibility for user interface
design, keyboard configuration, product installation, and documentation.
- Follow operating environment conventions that benefit
accessibility. In particular, follow conventions that benefit accessibility for
user interface design, keyboard configuration, product installation, and
documentation .
- For the purposes of this checkpoint, an operating environment
convention that benefits accessibility is either *one identified as such in
operating environment design or accessibility guidelines, or *one that allows
the author to satisfy any requirement of the "Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines 1.0" [WCAG10] or of the current document.
[Priority 2]
8. Animation and Multimedia
Section 508 Software
- (h)
When animation is
displayed, the information shall be displayable in at least one non-animated
presentation mode at the option of the user.
Section 508 Web
- (b)
Equivalent alternatives for any
multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the
presentation.
Comparison
-
Comment:
This is an interesting one
because it sounds like an authoring requirement to me. Our checkpoints for
control of animation (including video, animated images, and animated text) are:
3.2, 3.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.7, and 4.8.
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
2.5
Make captions, transcripts available.
1. Allow configuration or control to render text transcripts , collated text
transcripts , captions , and auditory descriptions at the same time as the
associated audio tracks and visual tracks.
[Priority 1]
2.6
Make captions, transcripts available.
Respect synchronization cues. 1. Respect synchronization cues (e.g., in markup)
during rendering.
[Priority 1]
4.4
Slow multimedia.
- Allow the user to slow the presentation rate of rendered audio
and animations (including video and animated images).
- For a visual track , provide at least one setting between 40% and
60% of the original speed.
- For a prerecorded audio track including audio-only presentations
, provide at least one setting between 75% and 80% of the original speed.
- When the user agent allows the user to slow the visual track of a
synchronized multimedia presentation to between 100% and 80%
of its original speed, synchronize the visual and audio tracks. Below 80%, the
user agent is not required to render the audio track.
- The user agent is not required to satisfy this checkpoint for
audio and animations whose recognized role is to create a purely stylistic
effect.
[Priority 1]
4.5
Start, stop, pause, and navigate
multimedia.
- Allow the user to stop, pause, and resume rendered audio and
animations (including video and animated images) that last
three or more seconds at their default playback rate.
- Allow the user to navigate efficiently within audio and
animations (including video and animated images) that last three or more
seconds at their default playback rate. The user agent may satisfy this
requirement through forward and backward sequential access techniques (e.g.,
advance three seconds), or direct access techniques (e.g., play starting at the
10-minute mark), or some combination.
- When serial techniques are used to satisfy the previous
requirement, the user agent is not required to play back content during serial
advance or rewind (though doing so may help orient the user).
- The user agent is not required to satisfy this checkpoint for
audio and animations whose recognized role is to create a purely stylistic
effect.
- When the user pauses a real-time audio or animation, the user
agent may discard packets that continue to arrive during the pause.
[Priority 1]
4.6
Position captions.
- For graphical viewports, allow the user to position rendered
captions with respect to synchronized visual tracks as follows: o if the user
agent satisfies this checkpoint by using a markup language or style sheet
language to provide configuration or control, then the user agent must allow
the user to choose from among at least the range of positions enabled by the
format o otherwise the user agent must allow both non-overlapping and
overlapping positions (e.g., by rendering captions in a separate viewport that
may be positioned on top of the visual track).
- In either case, the user agent must allow the user to override
the author's specified position.
- The user agent is not required to change the layout of other
content (i.e., reflow) after the user has changed the position of
captions.
- The user agent is not required to make the captions background
transparent when those captions are rendered above a related video track.
[Priority 1]
9. Color Conveying Information
Section 508 Software
- (i)
Color coding shall not be
used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action,
prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element.
Section 508 Web
- (c)
Web pages shall be designed so that all
information conveyed with color is also available without
color, for example from context or markup.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.12
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
10.2
Ensure that all of the default highlight
styles for the selection, content focus, enabled elements, recently visited
links, and fee links (1) do not rely on color alone, and (2)
differ from each other, and not by color alone.
[Priority 1]
10.6
Provide a mechanism for highlighting the
selection and content focus. Allow the user to configure the highlight styles.
The highlight mechanism must not rely on color alone. For graphical viewports,
if the highlight mechanism involves colors or text
decorations, allow the user to choose from among the full range of colors or
text decorations supported by the operating environment.
[Priority 1]
10.7
Provide a mechanism for highlighting the
viewport with the current focus. For graphical viewports, the default highlight
mechanism must not rely on color alone.
[Priority 1]
10. Color and Contrast Variety
Section 508 Software
- (j)
When a product permits a user to adjust
color and contrast settings, a variety of color selections
capable of producing a range of contrast levels shall be provided.
Section 508 Web
- None
Comparison
-
Comment:
All of our
color requirements refer to "the full range of colors
supported by the operating environment".
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
- ? None
?
11. Blinking and Flicker (two more of Santa's
reindeer)
Section 508 Software
- (k)
Software shall not use flashing or
blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or
blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.
Section 508 Web
- (j)
Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the
screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower
than 55 Hz.
Comparison
-
Comment:
We have explicitly chosen
* not * to include this requirement for the user interface. We
discussed whether our content requirements should be extended to the user
interface in general, and decided against this.
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
3.3
Toggle
animated / blinking text***
- Allow configuration to render animated or
blinking text as motionless, unblinking text.
- In this configuration, the user must still have access to the
same text content, but the user agent may render it in a separate viewport
(e.g., for large amounts of streaming text).
[Priority 1]
12. Form Controls
Section 508 Software
- (l)
When electronic forms are used, the
form shall allow people using assistive technology to access
the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and
submission of the form, including all directions and cues.
Section 508 Web
- (n)
When electronic forms are
designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using assistive
technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality
required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions
and cues.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
For all format specifications that the user
agent implements, make content available through the rendering processes
described by those specifications. [Priority
1]
2.3
Render conditional content.
@@ content available through the rendering processes described
by those specifications. [Priority
1]
5.4
Allow configuration to prompt the user to
confirm (or cancel) any form submission that is not caused by an explicit user
request to activate a form submit control. [Priority 2]
508-22 (Web) v. UAAG 1.0 Requirements
1. Text
Section 508 Web
- (a)
A text equivalent for every non-text
element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
2. Multimedia
Section 508 Web
- (b)
Equivalent alternatives for any
multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
2.5
Make captions, transcripts available.
1. Allow configuration or control to render text transcripts , collated text
transcripts , captions , and auditory descriptions at the same time as the
associated audio tracks and visual tracks.
[Priority 1]
2.6
Make captions, transcripts available.
Respect synchronization cues. 1. Respect synchronization cues (e.g., in markup)
during rendering.
[Priority 1]
4.5
Start, stop, pause, and navigate
multimedia.
- Allow the user to stop, pause, and resume rendered audio and
animations (including video and animated images) that last
three or more seconds at their default playback rate.
- Allow the user to navigate efficiently within audio and
animations (including video and animated images) that last three or more
seconds at their default playback rate. The user agent may satisfy this
requirement through forward and backward sequential access techniques (e.g.,
advance three seconds), or direct access techniques (e.g., play starting at the
10-minute mark), or some combination.
- When serial techniques are used to satisfy the previous
requirement, the user agent is not required to play back content during serial
advance or rewind (though doing so may help orient the user).
- The user agent is not required to satisfy this checkpoint for
audio and animations whose recognized role is to create a purely stylistic
effect.
- When the user pauses a real-time audio or animation, the user
agent may discard packets that continue to arrive during the pause.
[Priority 1]
4.6
Position captions.
- For graphical viewports, allow the user to position rendered
captions with respect to synchronized visual tracks as follows: o if the user
agent satisfies this checkpoint by using a markup language or style sheet
language to provide configuration or control, then the user agent must allow
the user to choose from among at least the range of positions enabled by the
format o otherwise the user agent must allow both non-overlapping and
overlapping positions (e.g., by rendering captions in a separate viewport that
may be positioned on top of the visual track).
- In either case, the user agent must allow the user to override
the author's specified position.
- The user agent is not required to change the layout of other
content (i.e., reflow) after the user has changed the position of
captions.
- The user agent is not required to make the captions background
transparent when those captions are rendered above a related video track.
[Priority 1]
3. Color
Section 508 Web
- (c)
Web pages shall be designed so that all
information conveyed with color is also available without color, for
example from context or markup.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to
specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification
contradicts a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard
the rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
-
- 2.3
Render conditional content.
- Allow configuration to
provide access to each piece of unrendered conditional content "C".
- The configuration may be a switch that, for all content,
turns on or off the access mechanisms described in the next provision.
- When a specification does not explain how to provide access
to this content, do so as follows:
- If C is a summary, title, alternative, description, or
expansion of another piece of content D, provide access through at least one of
the following mechanisms:
- (1a) render C in place of D;
- (2a) render C in addition to D;
- (3a) provide access to C by querying D. In this case,
the user agent must also alert the user, on a per-element basis, to the
existence of C (so that the user knows to query D);
- (4a) allow the user to follow a link to C from the
context of D.
- Otherwise, provide access to C through at least one of
the following mechanisms:
- (1b) render a placeholder for C, and allow the user to view the
original author-supplied content associated with each placeholder;
- (2b) provide access to C by query (e.g., allow the
user to query an element for its attributes).
In this case, the user agent must also alert the user, on a per-element basis,
to the existence of C;
- (3b) allow the user to follow a link in context to
C.
- To satisfy this checkpoint, the user agent may provide access
on a per-element basis (e.g., by allowing the user to query individual
elements) or for all elements (e.g., by offering a configuration to render
conditional content all the time).
[Priority 1]
-
4. Style Sheets
Section 508 Web
- (d)
Documents shall be organized so they are
readable without requiring an associated style sheet.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
4.17
Choose style sheets.
- For user agents that support style sheets:
- Allow the user to choose from and apply available author
style sheets (in content).
- Allow the user to choose from and apply available user
style sheets.
- Allow the user to ignore author and user style
sheets.
[Priority 1]
-
5. Server-Side Image Map
Section 508 Web
- (e)
Redundant text links shall be provided for each
active region of a server-side image map.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
6. Client-Side Image Map
Section 508 Web
- (f)
Client-side image maps shall be provided
instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined
with an available geometric shape.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
7. Table Headers
Section 508 Web
- (g)
Row and column headers shall be
identified for data tables.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
10.1
Table orientation.
- Make available to the user the purpose of each rendered table
(e.g., as expressed in a summary or table caption) and the relationships among
the table cells and headers
[Priority 1]
-
8. Associate Data
Section 508 Web
- (h)
Markup shall be used to associate data
cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of
row or column headers.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
9. Frames
Section 508 Web
- (i)
Frames shall be titled with text that
facilitates frame identification and navigation.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.1
Render content according to specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
10.5
Outline view.
- Make available to the user an "outline" view of content, composed
of labels for important structural elements (e.g., heading text, table titles,
form titles, etc.).
- What constitutes a label is defined by each markup language
specification. A label is not required to be text only.
[Priority 2]
10. Flicker
Section 508 Web
- (j)
Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the
screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55
Hz.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
3.3
Toggle animated / blinking
text***
- Allow configuration to render animated or
blinking text as motionless, unblinking text.
- In this configuration, the user must still have access to the
same text content, but the user agent may render it in a separate viewport
(e.g., for large amounts of streaming text).
[Priority 1]
11. Text-only pages
Section 508 Web
- (k)
A text-only
page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to
make a web site comply with the provisions of this part, when compliance cannot
be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be
updated whenever the primary page changes.
Comparison
Comment:
This is an authoring
requirement.
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
2.1
Render content according to
specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
12. Scripting
Section 508 Web
- (l)
When pages utilize scripting languages to
display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by
the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by
assistive technology.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
3.4
Toggle scripts.
- Allow configuration not to execute any executable content (e.g.,
scripts and applets).
- In this configuration, provide an option to alert the user when
executable content is available (but has not been executed).
- The user agent is only required to alert the user to the presence
of more than zero scripts or applets (i.e., per-element alerts are not
required).
[Priority 1]
13. Applets & Plug-ins
Section 508 Web
- (m)
When a web page requires that an applet,
plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret
page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies
with §1194.21(a) through (l).
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
2.1
Render content according to
specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
14. Forms
Section 508 Web
- (n)
When electronic forms are designed to be
completed on-line, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to
access the information, field elements, and functionality required for
completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
2.1
Render content according to
specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
2.3
Render conditional content.
- Allow configuration to provide
access to each piece of unrendered conditional
content "C".
- The configuration may be a switch that, for all content, turns on
or off the access mechanisms described in the next provision.
- When a specification does not explain how to provide access to
this content, do so as follows:
- If C is a summary, title, alternative, description, or
expansion of another piece of content D, provide access through at least one of
the following mechanisms:
- (1a) render C in place of D;
- (2a) render C in addition to D;
- (3a) provide access to C by querying D. In this case, the
user agent must also alert the user, on a per-element basis, to the existence
of C (so that the user knows to query D);
- (4a) allow the user to follow a link to C from the
context of D.
- Otherwise, provide access to C through at least one of the
following mechanisms:
- (1b) render a placeholder for C, and allow the user to view the
original author-supplied content associated with each placeholder;
- (2b) provide access to C by query (e.g., allow the user
to query an element for its attributes). In
this case, the user agent must also alert the user, on a per-element basis, to
the existence of C;
- (3b) allow the user to follow a link in context to C.
- To satisfy this checkpoint, the user agent may provide access on
a per-element basis (e.g., by allowing the user to query individual elements)
or for all elements (e.g., by offering a configuration to render conditional
content all the time).
[Priority 1]
5.5
Confirm form submission.
- Allow configuration to prompt the user to confirm (or cancel) any
form submission.
- Configuration is preferred, but it not required if forms can only
ever be submitted on explicit user request.
[Priority 2]
15. Skip Navigation Links
Section 508 Web
- (o)
A method shall be provided that permits users to
skip repetitive navigation links.
Comparison
Comment:
This is an authoring
requirement.
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
2.1
Render content according to
specification.
- Render content according to format specification (e.g., for a
markup language or style sheet).
- When a rendering requirement of another specification contradicts
a requirement of the current document, the user agent may disregard the
rendering requirement of the other specification and still satisfy this
checkpoint.
- Rendering requirements include format-defined interactions
between author preferences and user preferences/capabilities (e.g., when to
render the "alt" attribute in HTML, the rendering order of nested OBJECT
elements in HTML, test attributes in SMIL, and the cascade in CSS2).
[Priority 1]
15. Timed Response
Section 508 Web
- (p)
When a timed response is required, the
user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is
required.
Comparison
Comment:
This is an authoring
requirement.
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
2.4
Allow time-independent interaction.
- For rendered content where user input is only possible within a
finite time interval controlled by the user agent, allow configuration to
provide a view where user interaction is time-independent.
- The user agent may satisfy this checkpoint by pausing processing
automatically to allow for user input, and resuming processing on explicit user
request. When this technique is used, pause at the end of each time interval
where user input is possible. In the paused state:
- Alert the user that the rendered content has been paused
(e.g., highlight the "pause" button in a multimedia player's control panel).
- Highlight which enabled elements are time-sensitive.
- Allow the user to interact with the enabled elements.
- Allow the user to resume on explicit user request (e.g., by
pressing the "play" button in a multimedia player's control panel; see also
checkpoint 4.5).
- The user agent may satisfy this checkpoint by generating a
time-independent ("static") view, based on the original content, that offers
the user the same opportunities for interaction. The static view should reflect
the structure and flow of the original time-sensitive presentation; orientation
cues will help users understand the context for various interaction
opportunities.
- When satisfying this checkpoint for a real-time presentation, the
user agent may discard packets that continue to arrive after the construction
of the time-independent view (e.g., when paused or after the construction of a
static view).
[Priority 1]
508-31 (Functional) v. UAAG 1.0 Requirements
1. Support for Assistive Technology - Blind
Section 508 Functional
- (a)
At least one mode of operation and information
retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for
assistive technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired
shall be provided.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
1.1
Full keyboard access
Ensure that the
user can operate the user agent fully through keyboard input
alone.
[Priority
1]
1.2
Ensure that every message (e.g., prompt,
alert, notification, etc.) that is a non-text element and is
part of the user agent user interface has a text equivalent.
[Priority 1]
10.2
Highlight selection and content focus.
- Provide a mechanism for highlighting the selection and content
focus of each viewport.
- The highlight mechanism must not rely on color alone.
- Allow global configuration of selection and focus highlight
styles.
- For graphical viewports, if the highlight mechanism involves
colors or text decorations , offer a range of colors or text
decorations to the user that includes at least:
*the range offered by the
conventional utility available in the operating environment that allows users
to choose colors or text decorations, *or,
if no such utility is available,
the range of colors or text decorations supported by the conventional APIs of
the operating environment for specifying colors or drawing text.
[Priority 1]
2. Support for Assistive Technology - Visually Impaired
Section 508 Functional
- (b)
At least one mode of operation and information
retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be
provided in audio and enlarged print output working together or independently,
or support for assistive technology used by people who are visually
impaired shall be provided.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
1.2
Ensure that every message (e.g., prompt,
alert, notification, etc.) that is a non-text element and is
part of the user agent user interface has a text equivalent.
[Priority 1]
6.5
Using standard APIs, provide programmatic
alert of changes to content, user interface controls, selection, content
focus, and user interface focus.
[Priority 1]
10.6
Provide a mechanism for highlighting the
selection and content focus. Allow the user to configure the
highlight styles. The highlight mechanism must not rely on color alone. For
graphical viewports, if the highlight mechanism involves colors or text
decorations, allow the user to choose from among the full range of colors or
text decorations supported by the operating environment.
[Priority 1]
3. Support for Assistive Technology - Deaf
Section 508 Functional
- (c)
At least one mode of operation and information
retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for
assistive technology used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing
shall be provided.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
-
2.5
Make captions, transcripts available.
- Allow configuration or control to render text transcripts ,
collated text transcripts , captions , and auditory descriptions at the same
time as the associated audio tracks and visual tracks.
[Priority 1]
2.6
Respect synchronization cues.
- Respect synchronization cues (e.g., in markup) during rendering.
[Priority 1]
4. Support for Assistive Technology - Asistive Hearing
Section 508 Functional
- (d)
Where audio information is important for the use of a
product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be
provided in an enhanced auditory fashion, or support for assistive hearing
devices shall be provided.
Comparison
-
UAAG 1.0 Requirements & Priority
- 4.9
Global volume control.
- Allow global configuration of the volume of all rendered audio,
with an option to override audio volumes specified by the author or user agent
defaults.
- Allow the user to choose zero volume (i.e., silent).
[Priority 1]
4.10
Independent volume control.
- Allow independent control of the volumes of rendered audio
sources synchronized to play simultaneously.
- The user agent is not required to satisfy this checkpoint for
audio whose recognized role is to create a purely stylistic effect.
- The user control required by this checkpoint includes the ability
to override author-specified volumes for the relevant sources of audio.
[Priority 1]
References