Review ARIA tooltip example. Correct the alt text or text alternative to convey the same information obtained visually. In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need to specify height and width, using em units in padding can help keep things in proportion because em units are relative to font size. If there are multiple repeated blocks of content, provide a mechanism to bypass each block. 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. Provide a description of the error that includes the location of the error. If the technologies being used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey information rather than images of text. I have seen several sites that did include descriptions of what the image shows in the alt text of an image, usually on sites that had made an effort to improve accessibility but misunderstood the requirement. Do not remove standard keyboard accessibility behavior from native HTML interface elements (such as links, buttons, form elements). Use a summary or a caption when displaying data tables. Best Practice: Do not play any audio content automatically. Identify decorative content so developers can tag it appropriately. Note: Start and end tags that are missing a critical character in their formation, such as a closing angle bracket or a mismatched attribute value quotation mark are not complete. Avoid using the same link text for links that have different destinations. A search function to help users find content, Linking to all of the pages on the site from the home page. Give links a descriptive name so users will know where the link will take them if selected. Repeated content on multiple pages must be in a consistent order across the pages. Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text. Where user controls are provided for program selection, ICT shall provide user controls for the selection of audio descriptions at the same menu level as the user controls for volume or program selection. Insert a meaningful image with instead of background image. It acts like a regular dialog, but it is supposed to convey more of a sense of urgency. Do not use ONLY color to indicate errors, such as a red outline around the field. tabindex="-1": Makes the element focusable but not part of the (DOM) Tab sequence. 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. After deactivating the element currently in focus, set the focus to a specific location. Use HTML element to create links whenever possible. Only accessibility-supported ways of using technologies are relied upon to satisfy the success criteria. Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. Select a CAPTCHA that does not rely on images. Do you know how to create accessible digital products and services? Make all of the instructions easy to find. How do I add the page content to the alternate text for 508 compliance? An alert (role="alert") does not require a user action. I… Note 2: The alternate version does not need to be matched page for page with the original (e.g., the conforming alternate version may consist of multiple pages). ARIA links do not have any native styling or functionality, so you will need to add things like keyboard support, underline and color. 2. Determine alt text by asking, "What text would I put here instead of this picture?". Provide a clearly named to control (like a button) to initiate such changes. Labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input. This requirement covers both links and buttons. that are outside of the dialog. 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?” If your form is of the covered type, choose from the available options (Reversible, Checked, Confirmed) to meet this requirement. 3. Bookmark this guide and refer to it whenever you’re developing new content, websites or digital tools.      , Last name* To meet the requirements of a conforming alternate version, it must: Conform to all Level A and AA criteria, and, Provide all of the same information and functionality in the same human language, and, Be as up to date as the non-conforming content, and, The conforming version can be reached from the non-conforming page via an accessibility-supported mechanism, or, The non-conforming version can only be reached from the conforming version, or. As a UX designer, I think it’s helpful to review exactly who will be using a specific feature and why. With more than 285 million people in the world who have visual impairments, we know there are many people who could benefit from a more accessible Instagram. Source: http://adod.idrc.ocad.ca/acrobat9, InDesign Accessibility Guidelines For PDF Publication, ICT Refresh: WCAG, PDF/UA-1 and Section 508, Try to answer the question “what information is the image conveying?”, If the image does not convey any useful information, leave the alternative text blank (e.g. Do not play any audio content automatically. An Alternative text description is to be provided for every image or graphic. 3. Provide a clearly named control, such as a button, to initiate such changes. Determine alt text by asking, "What text would I put here instead of this picture?" Content owners are the best resource for text descriptions since they know what information they want the image to convey. Note 6: Alternate versions should not be confused with supplemental content, which support the original page and enhance comprehension. Use text instead. If keyboard focus can be moved to a component of the page using a keyboard interface, then focus can be moved away from that component using only a keyboard interface, and, if it requires more than unmodified arrow or tab keys or other standard exit methods, the user is advised of the method for moving focus away. Note 3: If multiple language versions are available, then conforming alternate versions are required for each language offered. Review W3C's Alt Decision Tree for guidance on how to describe images. Example: An online store has a series of pages that are used to select and purchase products. If you are a developer, designer, or content manager, keep reading! Acrobat 10 is the most widely used program for testing throughout FEMA. Make tooltips mouse and keyboard accessible. 508 compliance is the law that law-people wrote up to try and begin to set some standards. Each version should be as conformant as possible. Provide a method to display captions for the live event. Add alternate text as prompted in the Set Alternate Text dialog box. page content in alt text-508. Kelly Mitchell. When adding an element to the keyboard tab order, use tabindex="0". Section 508 requires all images on Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) websites and applications to have alt text. Do all decorative images have “ “ in the alt text field? The border around the grouped fields can be hidden programmatically if it conflicts with the design. Requirements for 508 compliance. Confirmed: A mechanism is available for reviewing, confirming, and correcting information before finalizing the submission. Refer to ARIA (radio buttons, segmented inputs), First name* If you’re reading this article, I’m guessing you have at least some awareness of what alt text is for and how it’s used. Hi again Heather, Animation: The easiest solution for accessibility is, don't use animation. The user cannot navigate out of the dialog by just tabbing, and screen reader users cannot use keyboard shortcuts to access semantic elements (headings, landmarks, form elements, etc.) Do all informational images have alt text that provides the same level of understanding a visual user would gain? In addition, the web page as a whole continues to meet the conformance requirements under each of the following conditions: When any technology that is not relied upon is turned on in a user agent, When any technology that is not relied upon is turned off in a user agent, and, When any technology that is not relied upon is not supported by a user agent. Assign headings structure and heading levels to headings. 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. Auto-updates to content must be user configurable. Tag decorative images with a blank alt tag. Using best practices for creating accessible documents makes Section 508 remediation much less costly. (Including only a mark without further explanation on a form field error is not adequate.). Otherwise, the focus will be lost, effectively sending the focus back to the top of the Document Object Model (DOM). One of the requirements to be Section 508 compliant is that – you have to provide text alternatives to all non-text content. November 28, 2018. This is by no means a comprehensive guide, but a good starting point. The destination or function of each link/button should be clearly explained in the link/button text or programmatically-determined link context. Under Section 508, agencies must provide disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to access available to others. Incidental: Text or images of text that are part of an inactive user interface component, that are pure decoration, that are not visible to anyone, or that are part of a picture that contains significant other visual content, have no contrast requirement. Equivalent alternatives should be synchronized with the content. Color is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. By following the basic principles outlined here, web developers can make their web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Add keyboard accessibility to custom developed interface elements. Best Practice: Do not have content that flashes. ALL images must have the alt attribute (even decorative images should be tagged alt=""). Identify the default lang attribute on the HTML element: The human language of each passage or phrase in the content can be programmatically determined except for proper names, technical terms, words of indeterminate language, and words or phrases that have become part of the vernacular of the immediately surrounding text. that conveys content has equivalent alternative text (alt, longdesc, or in the element context). Provide adequate labels and instructions to help users accurately complete form fields. According to the 508 compliance team, the compliance requirements for a video are: 1. 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. 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. If a web page can be navigated sequentially and the navigation sequences affect meaning or operation, focusable components receive focus in an order that preserves meaning and operability. Content owners are the best resource for text descriptions since they know what information they want the image to convey. WebHelp output has a Section 508 Compliant option that provides "alt" text (alternative text) for images, dynamic elements, frames, forms, and more. (See Understanding accessibility support.). The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. How to test. Do not intentionally remove the outline or other visual indicators on interactive, focusable element. Components that have the same functionality within a set of web pages are identified consistently. tabindex="0": Makes the element focusable and includes it in the (DOM) Tab sequence. All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes, except where the underlying function requires input that depends on the path of the user's movement and not just the endpoints. How to Create 508 Compliant Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations. Automatic changes should not be initiated when a component receives focus. Code content so elements are tabbed to in a sequential order that matches visual presentation of content (left to right, top to bottom). The only way to ensure 100% compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is to explicitly adhere to the sixteen provisions listed below: 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications. Plan for a site map or other ways for a user to reach a page in more than one way. 508 STANDARD PASS FAIL (a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). EMI Section 508 Guidelines This page contains several rules and guidelines that must be followed during content development within the LCMS. WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.1.1 D3 Note 2: Authors of web pages that cannot conform due to content outside of the author's control may consider a Statement of Partial Conformance. Logotypes: Text that is part of a logo or brand name has no minimum contrast requirement. Navigation mechanisms can be any repeated information on pages and are not limited to links and menus. 508 Compliance and Alt Text If you can read the photo, what you read needs to be entered in the alt text Text that is in an image MUST be entered as Alt Text or it cannot be read by assistive technology, and will be inaccessible to some users. Identify input errors by describing the errors. Note 1: In this definition, "can only be reached" means that there is some mechanism, such as a conditional redirect, that prevents a user from "reaching" (loading) the non-conforming page unless the user had just come from the conforming version. Use simple tables instead of complex tables whenever possible. The link can be made invisible until it gets focus so that sighted keyboard users can also use it. Audio-Only: Provide a text transcript for audio-only content. In designs show the media player with caption control (CC) and audio description control (AD) buttons visible along-side the other user controls. Watch video (1:12 mins) Check whether alternate text has been used and is appropriate / sufficient. Associate multimedia files with audio description track; label as audio described version. Guide to Accessible Web Design & Development, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), H71: Providing a description for groups of form controls using fieldset and legend elements, H64: Using the title attribute of the frame and iframe elements, W3C’s HTML Accessibility API Mappings (HTML-AAM) for images, Understanding Conforming Alternate Versions. When title is provided with alt, aria-labelledby, or aria-label, the value of title is computed as the accessible description. 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. Use instead. Alternative Text is textual material [incorporated “behind the scenes” with each graphic] that a Screen Reader can capture and read aloud to the user. 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. From the Accessible Digital Office Document Project: Tips for writing short alternative text descriptions: Try to answer the… Continue Reading More Tips for Section 508 Compliant Accessible Text. Review WebAIM Alternative Text for appropriate use of alternative text. The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, except for the following: Select colors for text and background that exceed the contrast requirement. **Please see 1.2.5 (below) for Section 508 conformance guidance, which requires audio description.**. TESTING DOCUMENTS FOR 508 COMPLIANCE To check your document for 508 issues or compliance open the document in a 508 true tester. Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text. Give repeated functional components a consistent name. Provide descriptive headings for sections of content for content structure. 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. Use a slightly darker red, like #E60000 for standard font sizes. Select a media player with caption controls and audio description controls that meet this requirement. If using colors that have a gradient, use the lightest color in the gradient for the contrast ratio test. Associate multimedia files to caption files; label as captioned version. Select a CAPTCHA provider that is already conformant to 508 standards. But there’s no way to disassociate the alt text from the image. 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. Note: is not supported in HTML5. Use CSS to change the cursor to a pointer (in most browsers this looks like a hand). See Understanding Conforming Alternate Versions. Best Practice: Put form instructions at the top of the form, instead of the middle. In most cases, an image will only have a function if it is contained within a link (or is an image map hotspot or a button). WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.1.1 D2. FEMA has a list of the testers on th e Intranet. Provide the text caption files for time-based media. Provide language of content that is in a different language from the rest of the page. Navigational mechanisms that are repeated on multiple web pages within a set of web pages occur in the same relative order each time they are repeated, unless a change is initiated by the user. Associate error descriptions with form fields using aria-describedby so that screen reader users know how to fix the problem. Best Practice: Do not use content that automatically moves, blinks, or scrolls. 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. Except for captions and images of text, text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality. The Accessible Name and Accessible Description for images is computed per. Alt text describes images in words so they can be read and understood by visitors using screen readers. Determining if the image presents content and what that content is can be much more difficult. 3rd party CAPTCHA tools generally do not allow customization. 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Prerecorded video-only content keeps my focus on the focus will be confusing to sighted.... The law that law-people wrote up to try and begin to set some standards for reviewing, confirming, is! Focus moves to the developer ( s ) screen readersto access websites, apps, and other.... Intentionally remove the outline or other visual indicators on interactive, focusable element a change of context attribute probably... Provide enough contrast against white if it may not be set successfully on the message contrast Checker clearly named control! Interfere with any use of alternative text with audio description track ; label as captioned version the size the! Mechanism is available to bypass each block performing a 200 % zoom should 508 compliance alternative text... Used by people who use screen readersto access websites, apps, and is clearly labelled to... Sections of content that are used to convey information rather than images of text visible that!