Advances in Web Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 and more) was presented by Senior Accessibility Consultant Andrew Arch at the 2018 Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities.

1. intopia.digital
creating an inclusive digital world
Andrew Arch
@amja @IntopiaDigital
Advances in Web Accessibility
WCAG 2.1 and more

2. WAI updates during 2017-18

3. Topics
 W3C and Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) updates
 WCAG 2.1 release
 Silver guidelines
 Other advances observed

4. Lots of new recommendations
ARIA Working Group has finalised recs for:
• WAI ARIA 1.1
• completes the HTML + ARIA accessibility model
• WAI ARIA Authoring Practices 1.1 also published
• Core Accessible API Mappings 1.1
• describes how user agents should expose semantics of web content
languages to accessibility APIs
• Digital Publishing WAI-ARIA Module 1.0
• defines a set of WAI-ARIA roles specific to AT users navigate EPUB
• Digital Publishing Accessibility API Mappings
• defines a WAI-ARIA module specific to the digital publishing industry

5. Working Drafts for review
• Accessibility Conformance Testing (ACT) Rules Format
• specifies requirements for writing accessibility test rules
• Personalization Semantics 1.0
• tailoring aspects of the user experience to meet the needs and
preferences of the user
• WAI ARIA Graphics Module + Accessibility API
• defines core roles specific to web graphics that allow an author to
express the logical structure of the graphic to assistive
technologies

6. Updated resources
• Planning and Managing Web Accessibility
• Web Accessibility First Aid: Approaches for Interim Repairs
• Developing Organizational Policies on Web Accessibility
• Planning and Managing Web Accessibility
• Easy Checks - A First Review of Web Accessibility
• Added a new check on Moving, Flashing, or Blinking Content
• Tutorials on Web Accessibility
• Updated Menus, Page Structure, Forms, Images, Tables, and Carousels
• Web Accessibility Laws and Policies Listing
• Updated and restructured
• Video Introduction to Web Accessibility and W3C Standards

7. New WAI website real soon - https://www.w3.org/WAI/beta/
Updated resources – WAI website

8. WCAG 2.1 update
What can we expect in the new release?

9. WCAG 1.0
released
5 May 1999
History

10. WCAG 2.0
released
11 December
2008
History (2)

11. History (3)
• WCAG 1.0 released 5 May 1999
• WCAG 2.0 released 11 December 2008
• Task forces established to address WCAG gaps:
• Mobile & Cognitive task forces established late 2013
• Low Vision task force established August 2015
• WCAG 2.1 announced October 2016
• WAI Silver (AG) task force established November 2016

12. WCAG 2.1 additions
• Principles – still 4 (POUR)
• Guidelines – 1 new
• Input Modalities (2.5)
• Success Criteria – 17 new
• 5 @ Level A
• 7 @ Level AA
• 5 @ Level AAA

13. Guideline 1.3 – Adaptable
SC 1.3.4 – Orientation (AA)
• Content is not locked to a specific display orientation, and
functionality of the content is operable in all display orientations,
except where display orientation is essential for use of the content

14. Guideline 1.3 – Adaptable (2)
SC 1.3.5 – Identify Input Purpose (AA)
• Help people ​better recognize​ and understand ​ ​the intention of
form inputs by attaching additional information (metadata) to the
identified form inputs
SC 1.3.6 – Identify Purpose (AAA)
• Enable the purpose of User Interface Components, icons, and
regions can be programmatically determined
• To support personalization and support user preferences and user
needs

15. Guideline 1.4 – Distinguishable
SC 1.4.10 – Reflow (AA)
• Increases zoom requirements to 400% without horizontal scroll
SC 1.4.11 – Non-text Contrast (AA)
• The visual presentation of ‘user interface components’ and
‘graphical objects’ that are essential for understanding the
content or functionality have a contrast ratio of at least 3.0:1
against the adjacent colours

16. Guideline 1.4 – Distinguishable (2)
SC 1.4.12 – Text Spacing(AA)
• Requires websites not to interfere with user style sheets or similar
for line height, paragraph spacing, letter spacing, and word
spacing
SC 1.4.13 – Content on Hover or Focus (AA)
• Content triggered by hover or focus (and often obscures he
trigger) can be
• Dismissed without moving focus
• Remains visible if the pointer is moved over it
• Persist until dismissed or the hover or focus is moved away

17. Guideline 2.1 – Keyboard Accessible
SC 2.1.4 – Character Key Shortcuts (A)
• If a keyboard shortcut is implemented in content using only letter
(including upper- and lower-case letters), punctuation, number, or
symbol characters, then at least one of the following is true:
• They can be turned off
• They can be remapped
• They are only active on focus
• Intended to prevent or minimise conflicts with assistive technology
keyboard actions

18. Guideline 2.2 – Enough Time
SC 2.2.6 – Timeouts (AAA)
• Where data can be lost due to user inactivity, users are warned at
the start about the length of inactivity that generates the timeout
• Essentially adding what most banks and many other transactional
sites already do

19. Guideline 2.3 – Seizures and Physical Reactions
SC 2.3.3 – Animation from Interactions
• Motion animation triggered by interaction can be disabled, unless
the animation is essential to the functionality or the information
being conveyed
• Refers primarily to the parallax movement (3D effect) that occurs
on some pages with vertical scrolling and causes motion sickness
in some people

20. Guideline 2.5 – Pointer Accessible [new]
SC 2.5.1 – Pointer Gestures (A)
• All functionality can be operated with a single untimed pointer
gesture
• Do not require a path-based gesture, unless a multipoint or path-
based gesture is essential
SC 2.5.2 – Pointer Cancellation (AA)
• Requires authors to use up-event triggering (which is standard) on
interactive components (with exceptions)
• Helps users with dexterity disabilities who miss the target

21. Guideline 2.5 – Pointer Accessible [new] (2)
SC 2.5.3 – Label in Name (A)
• Where an active control has a visible label, the accessible name for
the control includes the text string used for its visible label
• Important for voice input users in particular
SC 2.5.4 – Motion Actuation (A)
• Functionality that can be operated by device motion or user
motion can also be operated by user interface components
• Responding to the motion can be disabled to prevent accidental
actuation

22. Guideline 2.5 – Pointer Accessible [new] (3)
SC 2.5.5 – Target size (AAA)
• The size of the target is at least 44 by 44 CSS pixels for pointer
inputs except when, for example
• The target is available through an equivalent link or control on the same
page that is at least 44 by 44 CSS pixels
• The target is in a sentence or block of text
SC 2.5.6 – Concurrent Input Mechanisms (AAA)
• Web content does not restrict use of input modalities available on
a platform (with exceptions)
• Allow for a combination of mechanisms such as a keyboard or keyboard-
like interfaces and pointer devices like a mouse, stylus or touchscreen

23. Guideline 4.1 - Compatible
SC 4.1.3 – Status Messages (AA)
• Status messages can be programmatically determined through role
or properties such that they can be presented to the user by
assistive technologies without receiving focus

24. Next steps for WCAG

25. Next steps
• W3C members to vote on Proposed Draft
• WAI to provide additional guidance on the new requirements
• Understanding WCAG 2.1
• Techniques for new criteria
• How to meet WCAG 2.1 quick reference
• Australia and other countries to adopt the new version

26. www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG21/
Understanding WCAG 2.1

27. www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref
How to meet WCAG 2.0 (quick ref)

28. Source: What comes after WCAG 2.1
• Based on evidence and data
• Broadly communicate our efforts
• Clear project milestones
• Inclusive communication paths
• Inclusive of more perspectives
• Involve more stakeholders
• Easier to maintain and update
• Clearer update path
Process and Structure
• Easier to use
• Easier to reference
• Easier to understand
• Expanded scope
• Inclusive of more disabilities
• Inclusive of more perspectives
• Inclusive of more technologies
• Useful for more people
Content
Accessibility Guidelines post WCAG – aka Silver

29. Other changes benefiting accessibility

30. ICT Procurement Standard
Accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT
products and services – AS EN 301 549: 2016
• Adopted from EU standard
• Australian Standard Dec 2016
• Commonwealth Government
• NSW Government
• SA Government
NB. PDF version is free to download

31. Accessibility is becoming mainstream
Accessibility is being talked about in mainstream discussion:
• Design
• User experience and user research
• Content design and authoring
• Development – WAI ARIA everywhere
• Business strategy and benefits from accessibility

32. Organisations are increasingly looking to include people with
disability in user research and usability testing
• Definitely in DTA and other parts of government
• Also across Intopia’s clients and others
Intopia Connect is being established to facilitate this growth
• Contact us at connect@intopia.digital to participate
• Intopia pays participants – this is not a volunteer role!
Usability research

33. intopia.digital
creating an inclusive digital world
Contact me:
andrew@intopia.digital
@amja
Contact W3C/WAI
wai@w3.org
https://www.w3.org/WAI/
Questions