This document provides an overview of web accessibility guidelines and requirements. It discusses the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, which outlines four principles of accessibility - perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. WCAG 2.0 contains success criteria grouped under these principles. The document reviews the criteria for different levels (A and AA) of conformance and provides guidance on applying WCAG 2.0 to digital documents like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDFs. It also lists resources for more information on web accessibility, tools, and relevant legislation.

1. Monica Seeber
e-Accessibility

2. What am I talking about?
1. Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy
2. Introducing WCAG 2.0
3. WCAG 2.0 Level AA requirements
4. Applying WCAG 2.0 to digital copy
5. Resources

3. e-Accessibility:
More than just a buzz word
Design
for all
legislation
disability
methodology hardware
usability
e-
accessibility

4. Access for all
Visual Hearing Physical Cognitive

5. Remember!
Cognitive disability is not just mental impairment.
It also includes:
 low English (second or primary) language literacy
 executive function disorders
 attention disorders
 seizure disorders

6. 1. Web Accessibility National
Transition Strategy
 Agencies must update all government websites (as specified within scope under
the NTS) to WCAG 2.0 conformance
• Level A (Single A) by 31 December 2012
• Level AA (Double A) by 31 December 2014
• To claim conformance websites must meet all five WCAG 2.0 conformance
requirements.
 Agencies are encouraged to seek WCAG 2.0 Level AA conformance from the
outset, but must still meet the minimum requirements of the NTS (including Level
A conformance by December 2012).
Australian Government Web Guide - Accessibility

7. Relax and let me explain…
Some very clever
people wrote
guidelines for
improving access to
digital information.
The Federal
Government
decided it is
mandatory for all
departments to
implement these
guidelines.
All government
departments –
Federal, State and
Territory – must
implement these
guidelines by 31
December 2014.
The guidelines allow for three levels of conformity:
1. Single A
2. Double A
3. Triple A
“Single A” is the minimum standard. “Triple A” is the gold standard.
“Double A” is the happy-medium.
“Double A” is not a battery size.

8. 2. Introducing WCAG 2.0
World Wide Web Consortium
Web
architecture
Semantic
Web
XML
technology
Web design and
applications
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Web of
services
Web of
devices
Browsers and
authoring
tools

9. WCAG 2.0 structure
4 Principles
12 Guidelines
61 Success Criteria

10. Principles
1. Perceivable
2. Operable
3. Understandable
4. Robust

11. Guidelines
Perceivable
1.1 Provide text
alternatives for
non-text content
1.2 Provide
alternatives for
time-based media
1.3 Create content
that can be
presented in
different ways
1.4 Make it easier
for users to see
and hear content
Operable
2.1 Make all
functionality
available from a
keyboard
2.2 Provide users
enough time to
read and use
content
2.3 Do not design
content in a way
that is known to
cause seizures
2.4 Provide ways
to help users
navigate and find
content
Understandable
3.1 Make text
content readable
and
understandable
3.2 Make Web
pages appear and
operate in
predictable ways
3.3 Help users
avoid and correct
mistakes
Robust
4.1 Maximize
compatibility with
current and
future software
and hardware

12. Success criteria
Single A Double A Triple A
Perceivable 8 5 8
Operable 9 3 8
Understandable 5 5 7
Robust 1 - -
TOTAL 23 Single A + 13 Double A + 23
Principles of accessibility
Number of Success Criteria
Level of compliance
Double A compliance has a
total of 36 Success Criteria

13. •1. Perceivable: Information and user interface components
must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.Principle
•1.1 Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for any non-text
content so that it can be changed into other forms people need,
such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.
Guideline
•1.1.1 Non-text Content: All non-text content that is presented
to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent
purpose, except for the situations listed below. (Level A)
Success
Criteria
3. WCAG 2.0 Level AA
requirements

14. Perceivable
 The first principle.

15. Text Alternatives
Perceivable 1.1 Text Alternatives 1.1.1
Non-text content can be:
• charts
• diagrams
• pictures
• animations
• maps
• interactive design
Text alternatives can be:
• text description
• data table
• text transcript
This is related to 1.2 Time-based Media

16. Writing Text Alternatives
Is the content functional?
Yes Provide a text alternative
No
“Hide” the content in the
background
Further information:
Understanding SC 1.1.1
Image ALT Tag Tips
Complex Images
Alternative text must be equivalent and meaningful.

17. Time-based Media
Perceivable
1.2 Provide
alternatives for
time-based media
1.2.1
1.2.2
1.2.3
1.2.4 AA
1.2.5 AA
Time-based media can be:
• audio-only
• video-only
• live audio content
• synchronised media
• animations
Alternatives can be:
• text transcript
• audio description
• captions
• text description
This is related to 1.1 Text Alternatives

18. Writing Media Alternatives
Is the content repetitive?
Yes
Provide a brief ALT description
and refer back to the main text
No Provide a media alternative
Further Information:
Understanding SC 1.2.1
Understanding SC 1.2.2
Understanding SC 1.2.3
Understanding SC 1.2.4
Understanding SC 1.2.5
Video Captions and Audio Transcripts
Media alternatives must be accurate and detailed.

19. Adaptable
Perceivable
1.3 Create content
that can be
presented in
different ways
1.3.1 ✪
1.3.2 ✪
1.3.3 ✪
✪ Some of these criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.
Adaptable content can be:
• forms
• tables
• schedules
• text reading order
Alternatives can be:
• text directions
• text description
• captions
 programmatic cues

20. Writing Adaptable
Alternatives
Further Information:
Understanding SC 1.3.1
Creating Accessible Tables
Form Design
Text Reading Order
Adaptable alternatives must be equivalent and detailed.
This is related to 2.4 Navigable

21. Distinguishable
Perceivable
1.4 Make it easier
for users to see and
hear content
including separating
foreground from
background
1.4.1 ✪
1.4.2 ✪
1.4.3 AA ✪
1.4.4 AA ✪
1.4.5 AA ✪
✪ These criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.

22. Operable
 The second principle.

23. Keyboard Accessible
Operable
2.1 Make all
functionality
available from a
keyboard
2.1.1 ✪
2.1.2 ✪
✪ These criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.

24. Enough Time
Operable
2.2 Provide users
enough time to read
and use content
2.2.1 ✪
2.2.2 ✪
✪ These criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.

25. Seizures
Operable
2.3 Do not design
content in a way
that is known to
cause seizures
2.3.1 ✪
✪ These criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.

26. Navigable
Operable
2.4 Provide ways to
help users navigate,
find content, and
determine where
they are
2.4.1 ✪
2.4.2
2.4.3 ✪
2.4.4 ✪
2.4.5 AA ✪
2.4.6 AA ✪
2.4.7 AA ✪
✪ Some of these criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.

27. Writing Navigation Content
Navigation content must be informative and concise.
Navigation content can be:
• page titles
• links
• headings and labels
Examples:
Understanding SC 2.4.2
Understanding SC 2.4.4
Understanding SC 2.4.6
Page or Document Title
Headings and Subheadings
Link Text
Table Headers and Captions

28. Understandable
 The third principle.

29. Readable
Understandable
3.1 Make text
content readable
and understandable
3.1.1 ✪
3.1.2 AA ✪
✪ These criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.

30. Here’s a shocker:
Plain English is not a success criteria.
You should use it anyway because it’s Best
Practice and all-round good manners.

31. Predictable
Understandable
3.2 Make Web pages
appear and operate
in predictable ways
3.2.1 ✪
3.2.2 ✪
3.2.3 AA ✪
3.2.4 AA ✪
✪ These criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.

32. Input Assistance
Understandable
3.3 Help users avoid
and correct mistakes
3.3.1 ✪
3.3.2 ✪
3.3.3 AA ✪
3.3.4 AA ✪
✪ Some of these criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.

33. Writing Input Assistance
Input Assistance content must be specific and helpful.
Input Assistance content can be:
• error identification
• labels or instructions
• suggestions
Examples:
Understanding SC 3.3.1
Understanding SC 3.3.2
Understanding SC 3.3.3
10 Tips on Writing Hero-worthy Error Messages
Usable and Accessible Form Validation and Error
Recovery

34. Robust
 The fourth (and final!) principle.

35. Compatible
Robust
4.1 Maximize
compatibility with
current and future
user agents,
including assistive
technologies.
4.1.1 ✪
4.2.2 ✪
✪ These criteria can only be met through design.
We can tell the graphic designer/web developer about them, but we
can’t do it ourselves.

36. 4. Applying WCAG 2.0 to
digital copy
Word
Excel
PowerPoi
nt
Forms
PDF

37. For all office documents
1. Provide alternative text for images
2. Identify the column headers of tables
3. Avoid complex tables
4. Avoid text boxes
5. Avoid excessive use of blank characters, lines
and cells

38. Word
6. Use true heading styles
7. Use true numbered and bulleted lists
8. Use true columns
9. Place images in line with text
10.Include table of content for long documents
(auto is preferable)

39. Excel
6. Give each worksheet a descriptive title
7. Provide brief instructions in the first cell of
each worksheet
8. Describe the contents of charts in text and
present the same data in a table
9. Choose colours with a contrast ratio of at
least 4.5:1 and use additional visual cues

40. PowerPoint
6. Give each slide a title
7. Use built-in slide layouts
8. Provide captions and text transcript for
multimedia content
9. Avoid excessive use of slide transitions and
text animations

41. Forms
6. Provide labels for fields via Help Text
7. Identify required fields
8. Describe expected format and values
9. Place section breaks before and after the
form and only enforce protection on the
section containing the form

42. PDF
 PDF documents are considered “web content” and must
comply with WCAG 2.0 which includes 23 techniques
specific to PDFs.
 PDF is not considered an accessible format by the
Australian Human Rights Commission
□ An alternative format optimised for accessibility is required
World Wide Web Access: Disability Discrimination Act
Advisory Notes ver 4.0 (2010) – section 2.4.2
See also: PDF files

43. 5. Resources
WCAG 2.0
WCAG 2.0 Contents
michaelgaigg.com
AccessAbility
Web Accessibility In Mind
Digital
copy
Vision Australia
ADOD Project
Tools
Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool
TCC Writing for the Web training
Fangs Screen Reader Emulator
ChromeShades
WAT for IE
Legislation
Australian Human Rights Commission
Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy