Clear language is essential for effective communication and teamwork, especially in accessibility. When everyone has the same understanding of terms, it is easier to identify issues, find solutions, and create inclusive environments. This shared language helps developers, designers, and content creators work together to meet accessibility standards. It reduces misunderstandings and ensures that everyone can access information, products, and services. In short, standard terms create consistency and clarity, benefiting everyone.
Here are some common accessibility terms:
- Accessibility: Making products, services, and environments usable for everyone, with or without disabilities.
- Alternative text (alt text): Text descriptions for images or media that screen readers can read to describe visual content.
- ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications): In code, attributes used to make web content more accessible, especially for screen readers.
- AT (Assistive Technology): Tools or devices, like screen readers or hearing aids, that support accessibility.
- Autoplay: When audio or video starts on its own. WCAG recommends giving users control over autoplay to avoid disrupting those with cognitive or sensory disabilities.
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Media captions: Text that a screen reader can read showing spoken words and actions in videos.
- Closed captions: Timed, same-language captions that are editable.
- Open captions: Real-time captions in the same language, not editable without a broadcast time delay.
- Subtitles: Translated captions, either open or closed.
- Transcript: A text version of all spoken and non-spoken sounds in media.
- Color contrast: The difference in light between text or icons and their background.
- Descriptive link text: Link text that clearly tells users where the link will take them is important for people using screen readers.
- Error identification: Clear, screen reader-friendly error messages for form or page mistakes.
- Focus indicator: A visible change on the page showing which element is active so the user knows where focus is.
- Form label: Text that names a form field and explains what information to enter or select.
- Headings (H1, H2, etc.): Titles that structure the content of a webpage, important for screen readers to help users navigate a page.
- Keyboard accessibility: Ensures that users can navigate a website or app entirely by keyboard, without needing a mouse.
- Landmarks: Regions of a webpage (like “navigation” or “main content”) that help screen readers guide users through the content.
- Level A, AA, AAA: The three levels of WCAG compliance. Level A is the minimum level, the Federal government requires us to use Level AA, and Level AAA provides the highest level of accessibility.
- Non-text content: Any content that is not text (like images, audio, or video) must have an accessible alternative (like alt text or captions).
- On-input: When something changes automatically based on user input, users must be informed per WCAG standards.
- Operable: A WCAG principle ensuring that all users can interact with a website or app.
- Perceivable: A WCAG principle ensuring all users can find the information and content on a website.
- Pointer gestures: Actions like swiping or pinching that should have simpler alternatives, like buttons, for users with motor challenges.
- Reading order: The order in which the screen reader shares the content with the user, ensuring that users get the information in a logical way.
- Reflow: Ensures web content adjusts well to different screen sizes and zoom levels.
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Severity level: Ranks how serious an accessibility issue is. Both success criteria and severity levels help developers understand and prioritize accessibility improvements based on their impact on users with disabilities. Common levels are:
- Critical: A major barrier that makes a website or app unusable for people with disabilities (e.g., no keyboard navigation support).
- High/serious: Significant issues that prevent access or understanding for a group of users but might not completely block them.
- Moderate: Problems that reduce usability but do not entirely block access for most users (e.g., insufficient color contrast).
- Low: Minor issues that have a minimal impact on accessibility but should still be resolved (e.g., small inconsistencies in focus indicators).
- Screen reader: A tool that reads aloud the text and content on a screen, assisting people who are blind or have low vision. Examples: JAWs, NVDA, VoiceOver (iOS), and Talkback (Android).
- Success criteria: Specific, testable requirements that must be met to comply with each WCAG guideline. The W3C (Worldwide Web Consortium) has assigned each success criterion one of three conformance levels - A, AA, AAA - to categorize the impact it has on accessibility for people with different disabilities.
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Testing: There are several kinds of testing that are required to ensure accessibility and usability.
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Accessibility compliance testing: Tests performed against a specific set of rules, or success criteria, such as WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The three required steps for a complete accessibility audit are:
- Automated testing: A series of tests that run automatically using software. Only 40-45% of the WCAG test criteria are tested by automated tools. Scores and levels of compliance can NOT be determined by completing automated testing. Examples: aXe by Deque and Lighthouse by Microsoft.
- Manual testing: A series of tests that are performed by a human being to identify accessibility barriers. Manual testing is required to determine a score or level of compliance. Examples: Testing with a keyboard instead of a mouse, using a screen reader or screen magnifier, and testing on mobile devices.
- Critical path compliance testing: A series of manual tests performed to identify accessibility issues along a predefined path to complete a task.
- Usability testing: Tests performed by users with disabilities to identify and document any barriers to completing a task. These issues are based on the user’s experience, not on violation of a standard. Often, when a user has difficulty completing a task online, there is an associated violation of a standard that can be identified through manual accessibility testing.
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Accessibility compliance testing: Tests performed against a specific set of rules, or success criteria, such as WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The three required steps for a complete accessibility audit are:
- Text resize: Allows users to adjust text size without losing readability or functionality.
- Text-to-speech: Technology that converts text into spoken words. Examples: Amazon Text-to-Speech, Speechify, and XTTS.
- Universal design: Designs products for everyone, without special adjustments.
- Voice command: Technology that allows people to control devices by speaking, helpful for people with limited mobility. Examples: Alexa, Google Home, and Siri.
- WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines): A set of standards for making web content more accessible for people with disabilities, including visual, auditory, and cognitive impairments.
- Zoom (magnification): A feature that enlarges text or images on a screen, helping people with low vision.
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