| 1 |
Required |
HTML Header Tags  |
Every page MUST include HTML Header tags (<h1>, <h2> etc) to enable efficient navigation to the main areas of content. |
| 2 |
Required |
Image Alt Text |
All graphics REQUIRE indicative and descriptive alt attributes, particularly if the graphic is used as a clickable button, promo, or list item (e.g. sports team logo). Graphics not relevant to actual content (spacer graphics used for layout for example), should implement the alt attribute as follows: alt="" |
| 3 |
Required |
Keyboard Accessible |
All screens MUST be navigable via the keyboard. Tab and Shift+Tab are the primary navigation keys for moving between links on web pages; Up | Down arrow keys to navigate comboboxes and radio buttons; Spacebar to select and deselect checkboxes; and Spacebar/Enter for actioning links and other elements. Treeviews and Tabbed Interfaces also have special requirements. |
| 4 |
Required |
Accessible Forms |
Associate a label tag with all form fields, use fieldset to group related form elements together (radio buttons for example), avoid the use of dynamic combo boxes that automatically activate a highlighted option. User must be able to review all choices in a combo box by pressing up/down arrow keys, and tab between all form fields and understand their purpose (edit field, checkbox, etc. |
| 5 |
Required |
Accessible Tables |
When creating table headers in a data table, use <TH> rather than <TD>. Use of the <CAPTION> tag is also recommended for use with data tables. |
| 6 |
Required |
Title Tags for Pages and Frames |
Windows MUST have clear titles. This is particularly important for Popup windows. Frames MUST have clear titles. Frame title should reflect nature of content. "Navigation Frame" is better than "Frame 1." |
| 7 |
Required |
Relative Font Styles |
Page design MUST not override user browser/OS settings for large fonts, contrast, etc. Check out browser Accessibility Options under Internet Options from the Internet Explorer Tools menu. Windows OS accessibility settings are located under the Control Panel from the Settings menu. *Use relative font size for text |
| 8 |
Required |
Clear & Meaningful Link Text |
Link text MUST make sense when taken out of context. Avoid using text like "click here,", "buy", "more," or "details." Use the headline of a story, or more descriptive or distinct text that conveys where the user will land. |
| 9 |
Required |
Do not use Dynamic Refresh |
A method MUST be provided to adjust speed of, pause or disable Dynamic displays (tickers, etc.) through an onscreen control or client preference (a cookie). Onscreen control is preferred. |
| 10 |
Required |
Logical Tab Order |
Actionable elements (web links, form objects such as edit fields or buttons, etc.) MUST appear in a logical tab order. Tab order normally runs left to right, top to bottom. Focus should wrap to the top when the tab key is pressed after the last actionable item is reached. |
| 11 |
Required |
Visual Indicators |
Do not convey information by color alone, a text alternative is required. On interfaces where graphics are used to indicate an open or closed tab, each alt tag must convey the current state (open/closed, active/inactive). |
| 12 |
Required |
Use Closed Captioning Where Needed |
Closed Captioning (CC) is a great help to people with hearing impairments. CC presents the user with text on the screen that is synchronized with the audio track. Consider using CC any time you have a video that is reaching a large audience. |
| 13 |
Required |
Flash |
Use standard components for Flash whenever possible. If you can not make your content accessible using Flash, then you must provide an alternative view. See "Alternative View" below.
|
| 14 |
Required |
Image Maps |
Use client-side image maps over server-side image maps whenever possible. All hot spots require alt tags. |
| 15 |
Required |
High Contrast |
Page design should offer as sharp contrast between foreground and background as possible – black on white, dark blue on light gray, etc. |
| 16 |
Required |
Alternative View |
If the technology you use (example Flash) is either too expensive or too time consuming to meet the above requirements, then you must present an alternative accessible view. |
| 17 |
Required |
Audio Challenge/Response |
If a Graphic Challenge/Response is used to validate the user, then an Audio Challenge/Response must also be provided. |
| 18 |
Required |
Moving Focus to Newly Created Dynamic Content |
When a screen reader user or low vision user actions a link s/he expects to receive a new web page. When the link inserts dynamic content into the existing page, as with AJAX or an error message, the screen reader does not notify the user that the page has changed. In this case it is necessary to move focus to an H tag inside the newly created content. When focus is moved in this manner, the Jaws screen reader will speak the contents of the H tag which serves to simulate a new page. |
