WCAG 2.0 Understanding Page

Intent

This section contains the main explanatory content of the Understanding. It explains why the Guideline or Success Criterion exists and, at a high level, how to meet it.

The intent of this success criterion is for users to be able to better optimise their experience according to personal preferences or accessibility needs. By providing a means to programmatically determine the purpose of (add: predefined!) common (conventional) controls it’s possible for user agents or other software (or: technologies) to allow users to improve the personalisation of the content in a user defined way.

Adding metadata for common controls pave the way for, and provide in the need and promise of, technology being extremely flexible. In this way the conditions for delivering the expectation that users will be able to optimise their interaction experience according to their personal preferences or accessibility needs of many systems will be secured.

Familiar terms and symbols

What is familiar for some users may not be so for others, requiring them to learn new terms or symbols if they have never seen them before. This may lay such a burden on users that is makes certain content unusable.

Replacing these terms or loading a set of symbols that are appropriate for the specific user ensures that all users find the content simple and familiar. Having familiar terms and symbols is key to being able to use the web and the metadata makes this possible.

Context sensitive help

The same metadata also provide a way for browser extensions to be able to add context sensitive help for common controls or hide controls that the user finds hard to use correctly.

Autocomplete is another example of how knowing what a control is can help the user agent add support.

Note: Purpose of controls may also benefit speech users who rely on accessible names. For requirements related to Accessible Name, refer to Success Criterion 2.4.12.

Benefits

This explains how following the success criterion benefits particular types of users with disabilities.

Following the success criterion benefits users with particular types of, or a combination between, these disabilities in multiple ways:

Language related

When using slang language or difficult words, a common (conventional) version provides the opportunity for users to understand
For users who don’t master the language of the website that well a translation to their own language is possible (e.g. foreign, dialect or sign language)
Users for which written language is difficult to understand, symbols and graphics can be provided with which users are familiar

Memory related

The possibility for a familiar interface is available for users having trouble with all the different content they encounter on a daily basis
Tool tips may be shown for when the function of specific common controls is not clear (anymore)
Users for which written language is difficult to remember, symbols and graphics can be provided with which users are familiar

Focus and attention deficit related

Fewer features could be shown to clear the way for faster understanding of the content without distraction

Executive function and decision making related

Making content predictable because of the predefined common version prevents users to accidentally execute wrong controls
By optionally changing levels of complexity, increasing or decreasing, allowing users to fit their own needs
Predefined keyboard shortcuts connected to the execution of specific common controls simplify operability and decision making
Additional functionality on basis of the common controls can be provided to support the user in a variety of ways

Examples

Examples in Understanding pages are normally simple lists of hand-waving examples. Sometimes, examples are instead provided in sub-sections with headings. In either case, examples should stay high-level and not get into code specifics, which is for techniques.

When metadata for common input controls is provided:

User agents, assistive technology and browser extensions can add context sensitive help or hide certain controls that the user finds hard to use correctly
The auto complete function of user agents is able to help add support by the filling of predetermined data
Makes personalization possible which could include loading a set of symbols that is appropriate for the specific user, ensuring that all users find the icons simple and familiar
Can provide for recognizable terms which is key for certain individuals to being able to use the web
Interfaces which change can be adjusted so that known patterns or tooltips may be shown which helps people for whom learning new things is difficult or slowed down in the course of the years and the cognitive load becomes too great
See an example of an adaptive page

Example

Techniques

This section references techniques that can be used to meet the Guideline or Success Criterion. There are sub-sections for sufficient techniques, advisory techniques, and failures.

Within each sub-section, there may be "situations" to describe when a set of techniques need to be considered. Remove the sub-section and heading if situations are not used.
Techniques are provided in an unordered list. Reference techniques by linking to the filename of the technique and using the technique ID as link text. Use unlinked plain text if the technique has not been written yet.
If more than one technique must be used for full sufficiency, list them in the same bullet separated by "AND".
If a general technique requires technology-specific techniques to be implemented, end the bullet with "using" and provide a sub-list of those techniques.
Square brackets indicate optional components.

Remove any parts of the template that are not used, such as the section and heading for situations, sub-lists of techniques, or the "AND" construction. Also remove the square brackets around placeholder optional components.

Sufficient

Techniques that are sufficient to meet the Guideline or Success Criterion.

Use semantics to provide extra context (COGA Techniques 4.1). EG: <button coga-action="undo">default</button>
Provide semantics that allows for symbols on key content (COGA Techniques 4.2)
Using schema semantics
- <button type="button" itemprop="http://schema.org/SendAction">Send</button>
- <a rel="next" and rel="prev"></a>
Using microformats http://microformats.org
Using autocorrect on datafields (conforming to https://www.w3.org/TR/html5/forms.html#attr-fe-autocomplete)
Use of aria-invalid and aria-required
Use of aria epub on document content
Use of aria landmarks with coga context where supported

Advisory

Techniques that are not sufficient by themselves to meet the Guideline or Success Criterion.

Same template as sufficient techniques.

Failure

Techniques that document conditions that would cause the page not to meet the Guideline or Success Criterion, even if sufficient techniques are also used.