and table summaries. Auto-updates to content must be user configurable. Instructions provided for understanding and operating content do not rely solely on sensory characteristics of components such as shape, size, visual location, orientation, or sound. If your image contains information or represents something meaningful, determine the message the image conveys and write a short, concise text … If technologies are used in a way that is not accessibility supported, or if they are used in a non-conforming way, then they do not block the ability of users to access the rest of the page. Determine alt text by asking, "What text would I put here instead of this picture?". (Level A). Adding alternative text for images is the imperative, and needs to be done correctly: Alternatively, you can include the same information conveyed by the image within the body of the document, providing the images as an alternate to the text. Use CSS to change the cursor to a pointer (in most browsers this looks like a hand). Traceability to 508. Select a CAPTCHA provider that is already conformant to 508 standards. (Conformance is not possible at a particular level if any page in the process does not conform at that level or better.). How To Create a 508 Compliant Microsoft Word Document By using the built-in features within Microsoft Office, to include Word, you can avoid many of the most common mistakes related to accessibility. Provide a clearly named to control (like a button) to initiate such changes. The title attribute is probably always required for linked images or other non-textual content. As a UX designer, I think it’s helpful to review exactly who will be using a specific feature and why. Don't use javascript to perform a function that changes the page's context on the focus event (onfocus). Review WebAIM Alternative Text for appropriate use of alternative text. If the content that the image conveys is presented within text in the surrounding context of the image, then an empty alt attribute may suffice. Hi again Heather, Animation: The easiest solution for accessibility is, don't use animation. For moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating information, ALL of the following are true: Moving, blinking, scrolling: For any moving, blinking or scrolling information that (1) starts automatically, (2) lasts more than five seconds, and (3) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it, unless the movement, blinking, or scrolling is part of an activity where it is essential; and. (See Understanding accessibility support.). EMI Section 508 Guidelines This page contains several rules and guidelines that must be followed during content development within the LCMS. Note 1: For the purpose of determining conformance, alternatives to part of a page's content are considered part of the page when the alternatives can be obtained directly from the page, e.g., a long description or an alternative presentation of a video. A mechanism is available to bypass blocks of content that are repeated on multiple web pages. For all user interface components (including but not limited to: form elements, links and components generated by scripts), the name and role can be programmatically determined; states, properties, and values that can be set by the user can be programmatically set; and notification of changes to these items is available to user agents, including assistive technologies. Note 5: The conforming alternative version does not need to reside within the scope of conformance, or even on the same website, as long as it is as freely available as the non-conforming version. Note 7: Setting user preferences within the content to produce a conforming version is an acceptable mechanism for reaching another version as long as the method used to set the preferences is accessibility supported. Alt text, or alternative text, is primarily used by people who use screen readersto access websites, apps, and other software. (Level A). Changing the setting of any user interface component does not automatically cause a change of context unless the user has been advised of the behavior before using the component. Provide this information with the error notification (3.3.1). (Level AA). 3rd party CAPTCHA tools generally do not allow customization. Determine alt text by asking, "What text would I put here instead of this picture?" People who use screen readers are usually either completely blind o… In designs show the media player with caption control (CC) and audio description control (AD) buttons visible along-side the other user controls. The non-conforming version can only be reached from a conforming page that also provides a mechanism to reach the conforming version. An alternative for time-based media or audio description of the prerecorded video content is provided for synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. Conformance (and conformance level) is for full web page(s) only, and cannot be achieved if part of a web page is excluded. ARIA links do not have any native styling or functionality, so you will need to add things like keyboard support, underline and color. Tip: How to use “Alert” versus “Alert Dialog”. Major topics are listed below in alphabetical order. Provide suggestions on how to correct an error if known fixes are available. An Alternative text description is to be provided for every image or graphic. Audio descriptions are not necessary if all visual descriptions are provided with the sound track narration. Review W3C's Alt Decision Tree for guidance on how to describe images. Audio-Only: Provide a text transcript for audio-only content. The border around the grouped fields can be hidden programmatically if it conflicts with the design. Best approach is to return to the authoring file and fix it there. If a CAPTCHA is used, require the CAPTCHA test to have a text alternative that describes its purpose, and require that an alternate form of the CAPTCHA, using a different modality, also be provided. It is just as easy to build a 508 compliant document as it is to create a non-compliant one. One of the requirements to be Section 508 compliant is that – you have to provide text alternatives to all non-text content. Use the Tags panel to add alternate text for images in the PDF. Provide adequate labels and instructions to help users accurately complete form fields. The alt text for this image should be alt="Twitter" or similar (depending on the context and how the image is used), but it should not be "blue bird" or anything similar. Avoid using the same link text for links that have different destinations. Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text. Plan for a site map or other ways for a user to reach a page in more than one way. Do not play any audio content automatically. Created by the CIO Council’s Accessibility Community of Practice, this information is presented in categories that align to the Baseline Tests for Revised 508 Standards, which cover all WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA requirements, and will be the basis of the updated Trusted Tester Test Process. Customizable: The image of text can be visually customized to the user's requirements; Essential: A particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed. This software makes it much easier for the developer or the client to add any missing Alternative Text to the non-text content. Acrobat 10 is the most widely used program for testing throughout FEMA. If your form is of the covered type, choose from the available options (Reversible, Checked, Confirmed) to meet this requirement. Associate error descriptions with form fields using aria-describedby so that screen reader users know how to fix the problem. Add alternate text as prompted in the Set Alternate Text dialog box. Provide a description of the error that includes the location of the error. Correct the alt text or text alternative to convey the same information obtained visually. Example - using an onchange event on a select element without causing a change of context. Web pages have titles that describe topic or purpose. , Review ARIA tooltip example. (Level A). When adding an element to the keyboard tab order, use tabindex="0". Every image, applet, embedded media, plug-in, etc. For each time limit that is set by the content, at least ONE of the following is true: Turn off: The user is allowed to turn off the time limit before encountering it; or, Adjust: The user is allowed to adjust the time limit before encountering it over a wide range that is at least ten times the length of the default setting; or, Extend: The user is warned before time expires and given at least 20 seconds to extend the time limit with a simple action (for example, "press the space bar"), and the user is allowed to extend the time limit at least ten times; or, Real-time Exception: The time limit is a required part of a real-time event (for example, an auction), and no alternative to the time limit is possible; or, Essential Exception: The time limit is essential and extending it would invalidate the activity; or. It provides the minimum standards for what is deemed acceptable, and minimum really does not make a site fully accessible. If there are multiple repeated blocks of content, provide a mechanism to bypass each block. For this document, we are going to use Adobe Acrobat 10. Improved Accessibility Through Alternative Text Support . Click on a topic name to jump to that topic for an explanation of the WCAG requirements (also known as Success Criteria) related to that topic. Confirmed: A mechanism is available for reviewing, confirming, and correcting information before finalizing the submission. Identify input errors by describing the errors. Kelly Mitchell. Sure, you can make the effort to be 508 compliant, but the wording is very vague. Click to see non-compliant flashing Failure: This blinking text fails because the rate of flashing can’t be determined and its greater than 3 Hz. In part, this may involve configuration of the authoring application's Tag management (e.g., PDFMaker). Bookmark this guide and refer to it whenever you’re developing new content, websites or digital tools. In content implemented using markup languages, elements have complete start and end tags, elements are nested according to their specifications, elements do not contain duplicate attributes, and any IDs are unique, except where the specifications allow these features. To determine whether Alternate Text has been applied to a Data Table. 3. Otherwise, the focus will be lost, effectively sending the focus back to the top of the Document Object Model (DOM). All non-text content that is presented to the user should have a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose; since decorative images do not convey any meaning for any user, they should include a blank alt tag. Sounds obvious? It sets standards that must be followed by every federal government department, as well as every organization that receives federal contracts or … (Including only a mark without further explanation on a form field error is not adequate.). Note 3: If multiple language versions are available, then conforming alternate versions are required for each language offered. (a) A text equivalent for every non -text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or An alert dialog (role="alertdialog") requires a user action. For passages in a language other than the default language of the page, place a lang attribute with the appropriate value on the element or a parent element that contains the passage. Provide audio description track for time-based media. WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.1.1 D3 This usually occurs when external content is embedded within a page. Provide alternative text or descriptions for non-decorative images, images within a link, form fields, and other interface elements. Ensure the keyboard user can exit the embedded content. Note:
is not supported in HTML5. Background images should generally have no alt text, other decorative images should only have alt text if they form a crucial part of the content, message, and purpose of the document), If the image contains meaningful text, ensure all of the text is replicated, For logos, the alternative text should be the organization name, For groups of logos, one logo can be chosen to represent the group, Sometimes text is included as part of a logo or footer image (e.g. Adding alternative text for images is the imperative, and needs to be done correctly: Try to answer the question “what information is the image conveying?” 508 compliance is the same as accessibility. If error is detected immediately when exiting the form, ensure the error notification is keyboard accessible. 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