MM5.8 Accessibility: general information
- Gosia Creosteanu (Unlicensed)
The accessibility goal
The Digizuite team has begun a journey towards greater accessibility of Media Manager and related products. We have selected to base the changes on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines are acknowledged worldwide and are the foundations for the major local accessibility frameworks.
Our ultimate goal is to become compliant with the WCAG 2.1, conformance level ‘AA’, and in version 5.8 we have made a significant progress towards achieving that goal.
What is WCAG 2.1?
WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a set of guidelines created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that provides a framework for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities.
The guidelines are organized into four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. Each principle contains guidelines that cover different aspects of web accessibility, such as providing alternative text for images, ensuring keyboard accessibility, and using clear and simple language.
WCAG 2.1 includes new success criteria that address mobile accessibility, low vision, and cognitive and learning disabilities. It also includes updates to existing criteria to improve accessibility for people with disabilities who use assistive technologies.
Overall, WCAG 2.1 aims to make the web more accessible for everyone, regardless of their abilities, by providing a comprehensive set of guidelines for web developers and content creators to follow.
The detailed information on the latest standard can be found here.
The principles behind the guidelines
Perceivable
The Perceivable principle in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 focuses on ensuring that web content is presented in a way that can be perceived by all users, including those with visual, auditory, and cognitive disabilities. The guidelines under this principle aim to make information and user interface components perceivable to different senses and provide alternatives for content that cannot be fully perceived.
Key aspects of the Perceivable principle include:
Text Alternatives: Providing text alternatives for non-text content, such as images or multimedia, to ensure that users who cannot see or hear the content can still understand its meaning and purpose.
Time-based Media: Ensuring that any audio or video content on a website includes captions, transcripts, or other alternatives, allowing users with hearing disabilities to access the information.
Adaptable Content: Making sure that the presentation of content can be easily adapted to suit various user preferences, such as adjusting the text size, color contrast, or using assistive technologies like screen readers.
Distinguishable: Ensuring that all visual and auditory information, including text, images, and sounds, have sufficient contrast, color differentiation, and clarity to be distinguishable by users with visual or hearing impairments.
These guidelines aim to promote inclusive design practices that consider the diverse needs of users, enabling everyone to perceive and understand web content regardless of their disabilities or limitations.
Operable
The Operable principle in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 focuses on ensuring that web content is operable and can be interacted with by a wide range of users, including those with motor, cognitive, and learning disabilities. The guidelines under this principle aim to make web content and functionality accessible through various input methods and provide users with enough time to interact with and navigate the content.
Key aspects of the Operable principle include:
Keyboard Accessibility: Ensuring that all functionality and interactive elements on a website can be operated using a keyboard alone, as some users may have difficulty using a mouse or other pointing devices.
Enough Time: Providing users with enough time to read and understand content, complete tasks, and navigate through web pages. Avoiding time limits or providing options for users to adjust or extend time limits when necessary.
Seizures and Physical Reactions: Avoiding designs that can cause seizures or physical reactions in users with photosensitive epilepsy or other sensitivities by avoiding flashing or rapidly changing content.
Navigable: Ensuring that web content is structured in a clear and organized manner, with intuitive navigation mechanisms that allow users to locate and move between different sections or elements.
Input Modalities: Supporting multiple input methods, such as keyboard, mouse, touch, and voice, to accommodate users with diverse abilities and preferences.
These guidelines aim to promote a user-friendly and inclusive web experience by enabling users with different abilities to navigate, interact with, and control web content effectively. By considering operability, websites become accessible to a wider audience, regardless of their physical or cognitive limitations.
Understandable
The Understandable principle in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 focuses on ensuring that web content is clear, concise, and easy to understand for all users, including those with cognitive, language, or learning disabilities. The guidelines under this principle aim to make information and functionality more comprehensible by providing clear instructions, avoiding jargon, and organizing content in a logical and consistent manner.
Key aspects of the Understandable principle include:
Readable Content: Ensuring that text content is readable and understandable by using plain language, clear headings, and sufficient spacing. Avoiding complex sentence structures, technical jargon, and excessive use of abbreviations or acronyms.
Predictable and Consistent Navigation: Providing consistent navigation menus, links, and controls throughout the website, so users can easily understand and predict how to move between pages and access different functionalities.
Input Assistance: Providing descriptive and informative error messages or suggestions when users make input errors or encounter form validation issues. Assisting users in understanding and correcting their input.
These guidelines aim to enhance the overall comprehension and usability of web content, enabling users of diverse backgrounds and cognitive abilities to easily understand and engage with the information and functionalities provided. By promoting understandable design practices, websites become more inclusive and user-friendly for all individuals.
Robust
The Robust principle in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 focuses on ensuring that web content is built using technologies that are reliable, compatible, and can be interpreted by a wide range of user agents, including assistive technologies. The guidelines under this principle aim to make web content future-proof by promoting the use of accessible and well-supported technologies.
Key aspects of the Robust principle include:
Compatibility with Assistive Technologies: Ensuring that web content can be correctly interpreted and accessed by assistive technologies, such as screen readers or braille displays. This involves following standard web technologies and providing necessary accessibility information and structure.
Reliable Interpretation: Building web content in a way that can be reliably interpreted by different user agents, including browsers, mobile devices, and assistive technologies. This involves using valid code, avoiding deprecated or obsolete features, and adhering to accessibility standards.
By adhering to the Robust principle, websites and web applications can ensure that their content remains accessible and functional across various platforms, devices, and assistive technologies. This principle promotes the use of robust and interoperable technologies, reducing barriers for users and ensuring long-term accessibility.