ARCHIVED - CLF 2.0 Assessment Methodology

Compliance Criteria - Web page

Not included in the assessment of a Web page

Compliance Criteria – Domain names for a site or sub site

Situation where applicable: Always

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Not included in the assessment of a Web page

Compliance Criteria – Domain names for a site or sub site

Situation where applicable: Site

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is each domain name that could be perceived as being associated to the site or sub site and is registered by a private individual or entity with apparent bad-faith intent being pursued using the established redress provisions of the governing body that oversees the Internet domain in question (where required based on a risk-based analysis)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are "alt" attributes provided for all "img" elements?
2. Are text equivalents provided for all meaningful information conveyed by "img" elements?
3. Are text equivalents (such as text-based versions or parent container title attribute values) provided for all meaningful information conveyed by images that are loaded through CSS?
4. Are text equivalents provided for all meaningful information conveyed by programmatic objects (such as Flash objects, media players, and other interface objects)?
5. Are transcripts provided for all meaningful visual and audio information conveyed by multimedia?
6. Are text equivalents provided for all programmatic object interface controls (such as media player buttons)?
7. Are brief descriptions (alt text) and full descriptions (such as data tables or long descriptions) provided for all images that convey more meaningful information than can be conveyed using alt text alone (such as charts and graphs)?
8. English page:
   1. Are all text equivalents provided in English only?
9. French page:
   1. Are all text equivalents provided in French only?
10. Page in a language other than English or French:
    1. Are all text equivalents provided in only the language of the page?
11. Bilingual or multilingual page for a site provided by an office located outside of Quebec:
    1. Are all text equivalents provided in English first and French second?
12. Bilingual or multilingual page for a site provided by an office located inside of Quebec:
    1. Are all text equivalents provided in French first and English second?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 33.3% compliance)

1. Is all meaningful information embedded in images conveyed through the associated text equivalents in the logical reading order?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 66.7% compliance)

1. Are null (alt="") text equivalents provided for all "img" elements that do not convey meaningful information or are used solely for decorative purposes so they can be ignored by adaptive technologies?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are redundant text links provided for the active regions of each server-side image map?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is equivalent information provided through the main audio track or a separate auditory description for all meaningful visual information conveyed through multimedia?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are equivalent captions provided for all meaningful audio information conveyed through multimedia?
2. Are all captions synchronized with the associated meaningful audio information conveyed through multimedia?
3. Are all captions at least one phrase in length (where sufficient meaningful audio information exists)?
4. Is all equivalent information conveyed through the main audio track and any separate auditory descriptions synchronized with the associated meaningful visual information conveyed through multimedia?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of instances where meaningful information is conveyed exclusively through colour (such as which form fields are mandatory)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Meaningful text that is embedded in an image and is smaller than equivalent 18 point and 14 point bold fonts (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 4:1 contrast ratio achieved between the meaningful text and the associated backgrounds?
2. Meaningful text that is embedded in an image and is at least as large as an equivalent 18 point or 14 point bold font (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 3:1 contrast ratio achieved between the meaningful text and the associated backgrounds?
3. Meaningful information (other than text) embedded in an image:
   1. Is at least a 3:1 contrast ratio achieved between the meaningful information and the associated backgrounds?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Meaningful text that is embedded in an image and is smaller than equivalent 18 point and 14 point bold fonts (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 4.25:1 contrast ratio achieved between the meaningful text and the associated backgrounds?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 75% compliance)

1. Meaningful text that is embedded in an image and is smaller than equivalent 18 point and 14 point bold fonts (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio achieved between the meaningful text and the associated backgrounds?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of images that are the sole means of visually conveying meaningful information where markup and CSS could be used instead of or at least in addition to the images to convey the same meaningful information (excluding the institutional signature and the "Canada" wordmark)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Page does not contain a frameset:
   1. Does the page validate to XHTML 1.0 Strict or a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations?
2. Page contains a frameset:
   1. Does the frameset validate to XHTML 1.0 Frameset or a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations?
   2. Does each frame validate to XHTML 1.0 Strict or a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Does all CSS (including associated CSS files and CSS embedded in the page) validate to the most current and stable version of CSS?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of tables used for layout (such as tables used to control the layout and positioning of blocks of text, visual elements, and form controls)?
2. Is the page free of deprecated markup that is used to control the page layout or presentation?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 33.3% compliance)

1. Is the page free of images that are used solely to control the page layout?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are units that are relative to the browser text size setting (%, em, and ex) used to control the size of all text elements? For example, does all text scale in size when using the "Text Size" feature in Internet Explorer?
2. Are units that are relative to the browser text size setting (%, em, and ex) used to control the size of all form controls that contain text? For example, do all form controls that can contain text scale in size when using the "Text Size" feature in Internet Explorer?
3. Are units that are relative to the browser text size setting (%, em, and ex) used to control the size of all images that convey meaningful information or is markup and CSS used instead of or at least in addition to the images to convey the same meaningful information (excluding the institutional signature and the "Canada" wordmark)?
4. Does the page scale to at least 200% of the normal text size setting without overlapping or clipping that negatively impacts the legibility of any meaningful information?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is heading markup used?
2. Is the page free of duplicate headings at the same heading level in the same section/sub-section? For example, is the page free of level 3 headings ("h3") that contain identical text and are grouped by the same level 2 heading ("h2")?
3. Is the page free of heading elements that do not convey both meaningful information and document structure?
4. Is the page free of heading elements that are associated to sections that do not contain meaningful information? For example, is the page free of level 2 headings ("h2") where meaningful information has not been provided before the next level 2 ("h2") or level 1 ("h1") heading?
5. Is the page free of heading elements that are used solely for visual purposes?
6. Are all headings that are hidden using CSS able to be read by screen readers? For example, is the page free of headings that have been hidden using "display: none" or "visibility: hidden"?
7. Content page:
   1. Are "h1" elements provided at the beginning of the common menu bar, the left side menu, and the content area?
   2. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in only the language of the page?
8. Welcome Page for a bilingual or multilingual site provided by an office located outside of Quebec:
   1. Is an "h1" element provided at the beginning of the message area?
   2. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in both official languages?
   3. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in English first and French second?
9. Welcome Page for a bilingual or multilingual site provided by an office located inside of Quebec:
   1. Is an "h1" element provided at the beginning of the message area?
   2. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in both official languages?
   3. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in French first and English second?
10. Welcome Page for a unilingual site:
    1. Is an "h1" element provided at the beginning of the message area?
    2. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in only the language of the page (except for the sub-section heading for the Official Languages notice in the alternate official language)?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Are all section/sub-section headings identified using heading markup?
2. Is heading markup used in sequence without skipping levels?
3. Are all section/sub-section relationships properly identified using heading markup? For example, if a section begins with a level 3 heading then each sub-section of the level 3 heading section would begin with a level 4 heading, and each sub-section of the level 4 heading sub-sections would begin with a level 5 heading.

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of list markup that is used solely for visual purposes (such as indenting)?
2. Is the page free of content that visually emulates unordered lists, ordered lists, or definition lists without list markup being used (excluding any content where data tables or heading elements are used instead of list markup)?
3. Are all items from the same list grouped together within the same list element ("ol", "ul", or "dl") rather than being split into separate list elements?
4. Is each sub list nested correctly in the associated parent list (in other words are the items in each sub list grouped into a new list element that is nested within a list item element of the parent list)?
5. Is the page free of nested lists that are not immediately preceded by meaningful information that identifies the contents of the nested list and is contained within the same parent list item as the nested list (in other words is the page free of list item elements that that begin with the list element of a nested list)?
6. Is the page free of list item elements ("li", "dt", or "dd") that do not contain any content?
7. Is list markup used for all content that is explicitly identified in the surrounding or referring text as being in a list (excluding any content where data tables or heading elements are used instead of list markup)?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 66.7% compliance)

1. Is list markup used for each series of like content that conveys meaningful information (such as links, names, or addresses) and is not part of a sentence (excluding any series where data tables or heading elements are used instead of list markup)?
2. Is definition list markup used for each series of like title/value pairs that conveys meaningful information (such as term/definition pairs in a glossary or speaker/speech pairs in a transcript) and is not part of a sentence (excluding any series where data tables or heading elements are used instead of list markup)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are "q" elements used for all inline quotations and "blockquote" elements used for all quotation blocks?
2. Is the beginning and end of each quotation identified using quotation markup (in other words does the quotation markup enclose only the quotation and none of the surrounding text)?
3. Is the page free of quotation markup that is used solely for visual purposes (such as indenting)?
4. Is the "cite" attribute used to identify the source URL for each quotation where a Web page reference exists?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are all changes in the natural language of the page programmatically identified using "lang" for each element where the language change occurs (excluding language changes that occur within a bilingual or multilingual attribute value)?
2. Do the values specified for each "lang" attribute correctly identify the language of the associated content? For example, is a value of "en" used to identify English content and a value of "fr" used to identify French content?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Data table:
   1. Is at least one header cell that conveys meaningful information provided for each data cell?
   2. Are "th" elements used for each header cell that conveys meaningful information?
   3. Are "td" elements used for each header cell that does not convey meaningful information (such as empty cells in a header row or column)?
   4. Are "td" elements used for each data cell?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Data table with two or more logical levels of row or column headers:
   1. Is each header cell that conveys meaningful information programmatically associated to the related data cells using attributes such as "scope", "id"/"headers", or "axis"?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Page is not free of layout tables:
   1. Is the page free of layout tables that do not make sense when linearized (in other words read left to right, row by row)?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 25% compliance)

1. Is the page free of layout tables?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of layout tables that include data table-specific structural markup (such as "th", "axis", "scope", "id"/"headers", "thead", "tfoot", "tbody", "col", and "colgroup")?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is all meaningful information accessible and perceivable in the correct order when CSS is disabled or not supported (including meaningful information conveyed by images loaded through CSS)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are the text equivalents for all non-text dynamic content (such as animated and changing images) always conveying the same meaningful information as the associated non-text dynamic content?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is all meaningful information conveyed in the correct order when scripting or programmatic objects are disabled or not supported?
2. Is all important functionality (or equivalent functionality) provided when scripting or programmatic objects are disabled or not supported?
3. Is the page free of objects that do not function correctly when scripting or programmatic objects are disabled or not supported?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is all important functionality that is event handler-dependent both accessible and operable when using only a keyboard or keyboard emulation?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Is all functionality that is event handler-dependent implemented using device independent event handlers or a combination of event handlers that enable the functionality to be device-independent (except for keyboard-only functionality such as completing text input fields)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are alternative accessible presentations for each frameset provided through the "noframes" element?
2. Are alternative accessible presentations or links to pages with equivalent information provided for all dynamic content that cannot be made accessible?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of content that flickers (flashes more than three times in any one second period)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of content that blinks (alternates between visible and invisible at a regular rate)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of movement that lasts for more than three seconds or is a mechanism provided to freeze such movement?
2. Is the page free of movement that periodically restarts or is a mechanism provided to freeze such movement?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of automatic updates (such as automatic page refreshes using meta-refresh or JavaScript) or is a mechanism provided to prevent the automatic updates?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of automatic client-side redirects (such as a meta-refresh redirect)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is all meaningful information that is conveyed through scripting or programmatic objects both accessible and perceivable when using adaptive technologies (such as screen readers and screen magnification software)?
2. Is all important functionality provided through scripting or programmatic objects both accessible and operable when using adaptive technologies (such as screen readers and alternate input devices)?
3. Is the page free of scripting and programmatic objects that interfere with adaptive technologies in the following ways:
   1. trapping focus;
   2. preventing navigation to an area of the page;
   3. disrupting adaptive technology functionality;
   4. providing audio that disrupts or interferes with hearing other audio information;
   5. changing the context without a user request;
   6. performing page updates that cannot be detected by screen readers or other adaptive technologies (such as initiating AJAX-based page updates using XMLHttpRequest) without providing an accessible alternative; and
   7. hiding meaningful information unnecessarily from screen readers and other adaptive technologies (such as using "display: none" or "visibility: hidden")?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of server-side image maps where the regions can be defined with an available geometric shape?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is all important functionality provided through custom scripting or programmatic object interfaces accessible and operable when using only a keyboard or keyboard emulation?
2. Is the page free of custom scripting or programmatic object interfaces that interfere in the following ways when using only a keyboard or keyboard emulation?
   1. trapping focus; and
   2. preventing navigation to an area of the page?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is all important functionality that is event handler-dependent both accessible and operable when using only a keyboard or keyboard emulation?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Is all functionality that is event handler-dependent implemented using device-independent event handlers or a combination of event handlers that enable the functionality to be device-independent (except for keyboard-only functionality such as completing text input fields)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of links that open in new windows or tabs without advance warning?
2. Is the page free of new windows, tabs, and JavaScript alerts/dialogs that open when the state of a form control changes (excluding submit buttons)?
3. Is the page free of new windows, tabs, and JavaScript alerts/dialogs that open as a result of generic mouse or keyboard actions (such as moving the mouse pointer or pressing a key on the keyboard)?
4. Is the page free of new windows, tabs, and JavaScript alerts/dialogs that open as a result of an element gaining or losing focus?
5. Is the page free of new windows, tabs, and JavaScript alerts/dialogs that open automatically without an explicit action being performed?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 25% compliance)

1. Is the page free of links that open in new windows or tabs where the advance warning is provided near the link but not in the link text or the title value?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Is the page free of links that open in new windows or tabs where the advance warning was provided in the link text but not in the non-null title value?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is at least one unique label that conveys meaningful information provided for each form control?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Is all text that is unique to one form control (including inline error messages) provided immediately preceding the associated form control on either the same line or on the preceding line (excluding radio buttons, checkboxes, submit buttons, reset buttons, and button elements)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Page does not contain a frameset:
   1. Is the full DOCTYPE declaration for XHTML 1.0 Strict or the latest supported version of a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations provided as the first element on the page?
2. Page contains a frameset:
   1. Is the full DOCTYPE declaration for XHTML 1.0 Frameset or the latest supported version of a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations provided as the first element for each frameset?
   2. Is the full DOCTYPE declaration for XHTML 1.0 Strict or the latest supported version of a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations provided as the first element for each frame?
3. Is the page free of elements and attributes that are not part of a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations (such as the "embed" element)?

References

1. Document Type Definition (DTD)
2. DOCTYPE declaration (Glossary)

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of deprecated elements?
2. Is the page free of deprecated attributes?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is an alternative page provided which uses World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) technologies, is accessible, has equivalent information and functionality, and is updated as often as the inaccessible (original) page?
2. Is a link to the alternative page prominently displayed at the top of the content area?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are title attribute values that facilitate frame identification and navigation provided for all frames in each frameset?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the purpose of each frame and how the frames relate to each other obvious from frame title attribute values alone or is this information available through "longdesc" attributes that are provided for all frames in each frameset?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is heading markup used?
2. Are data tables used for all tabular data?
3. Is the page free of duplicate headings at the same heading level in the same section/sub-section? For example, is the page free of level 3 headings ("h3") that contain identical text and are grouped by the same level 2 heading ("h2")?
4. Is the page free of heading elements that do not convey both meaningful information and document structure?
5. Is the page free of heading elements that are associated to sections that do not contain meaningful information? For example, is the page free of level 2 headings ("h2") where meaningful information has not been provided before the next level 2 ("h2") or level 1 ("h1") heading?
6. Is the page free of heading elements that are used solely for visual purposes?
7. Are all headings that are hidden using CSS able to be read by screen readers? For example, is the page free of headings that have been hidden using "display: none" or "visibility: hidden"?
8. Content page:
   1. Are "h1" elements provided at the beginning of the common menu bar, the left side menu, and the content area?
   2. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in only the language of the page?
9. Welcome Page for a bilingual or multilingual site provided by an office located outside of Quebec:
   1. Is an "h1" element provided at the beginning of the message area?
   2. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in both official languages?
   3. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in English first and French second?
10. Welcome Page for a bilingual or multilingual site provided by an office located inside of Quebec:
    1. Is an "h1" element provided at the beginning of the message area?
    2. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in both official languages?
    3. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in French first and English second?
11. Welcome Page for a unilingual site:
    1. Is an "h1" element provided at the beginning of the message area?
    2. Are all section/sub-section headings provided in only the language of the page (except for the sub-section heading for the Official Languages notice in the alternate official language)?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Are all section/sub-section headings identified using heading markup?
2. Is the page logically grouped into sections using heading markup?
3. Are all section/sub-section relationships properly identified using heading markup? For example, if a section begins with a level 3 heading then each sub-section of the section would begin with a level 4 heading, and each sub-section of these sub-sections would begin with a level 5 heading.
4. Is heading markup used in sequence without skipping levels?
5. Are all closely related form controls logically grouped using "fieldset" and "legend"?
6. Is each sub list nested correctly in the associated parent list (in other words are the items in each sub list grouped into a new list element that is nested within a list item element of the parent list)?
7. Is list markup used for each series of like content that conveys meaningful information (such as links, names, or addresses) and is not part of a sentence (excluding any series where data tables or heading elements are used instead of list markup)?
8. Is definition list markup used for each series of like title/value pairs that conveys meaningful information (such as term/definition pairs in a glossary or speaker/speech pairs in a transcript) and is not part of a sentence (excluding any series where data tables or heading elements are used instead of list markup)?
9. Is the page free of very large blocks of text where it would be natural and appropriate to divide each of those blocks of text into more manageable groups?
10. Is the page free of very large and complex tables (such as compound tables) where it would be natural and appropriate to divide each of those tables into less complex and more manageable tables?
11. Is the paragraph element ("p") used to identify the beginning and ending of each paragraph?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is all text that is enclosed by the "form" element and is unique to one form control (including inline error messages) programmatically associated to the relevant form control? For example, are all labels that are unique to one form control programmatically associated to the relevant form control using the "label" element?
2. Is all text that is enclosed by the "form" element that is not unique to one form control programmatically associated to the relevant form controls using "fieldset" and "legend"?
3. Is all text that is enclosed by the "form" element programmatically associated to at least one form control?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of links where the targets are not explicitly identified through the link text or the title values alone (such as a "More" link with no title value)?
2. Is the page free of links where the targets cannot be programmatically determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with content from the same paragraph, the same list, the same table cell, or an associated table header cell?
3. Is the page free of links with different targets that are not differentiable through link text or title values alone (such as multiple "Help" links with different targets and the same title values)?
4. Is the page free of links with different targets that are not differentiable through link text alone or from the link text together with content from the same paragraph, the same list, the same table cell, or an associated table header cell?
5. Is the page free of links with different targets, different link text, and non-null title values that are not differentiable through title values alone (such as multiple links with different link text but only "Help" for the title value)?
6. Is the page free of links with non-null title values that provide less information than the link text (such as links with "Meetings in June" for the link text and "Meetings" for the title value)?
7. Are all links valid (in other words not broken and targeting the correct page in the correct language)?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Is the page free of links with a URL for the link text where the target is not explicitly identified through the title value (excluding link text that includes only the domain names such as "canada.gc.ca" or "privcom.gc.ca")?
2. Is a text indication of the format provided in the link text or title value for each link to a non-XHTML/HTML format?
3. Is the page free of link text and title values that do not use white-space or hyphens in between words (such as using underscores or no white-space at all)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is semantic information provided using at least one metadata element (such as "dc.description", "description", "dcterms.subject", or "keywords")?
2. Is semantic information identifying the contents of the Web page provided using the title element (<title></title>)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is information about the general layout of the site (such as site maps, A-Z indexes, or tables of contents) available from the current page or a page linked to from the current page (such as the Contact Us page)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are advance warnings for the opening of new windows implemented consistently throughout the page?
2. Is the naming convention for form control labels implemented consistently throughout the page?
3. Is the naming convention for link text and title values implemented consistently throughout the page?
4. Are navigational mechanisms implemented consistently throughout the page?
5. Are advance warnings for the opening of new windows implemented on the page consistent with the rest of the site or sub site?
6. Is the naming convention for form control labels implemented on the page consistent with the rest of the site or sub site?
7. Is the naming convention for link text and title values implemented on the page consistent with the rest of the site or sub site?
8. Are navigational mechanisms implemented on the page consistent with the rest of the site or sub site?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is all content using the plainest and clearest language that is appropriate for the site?
2. Is the page free of unnecessarily complex terminology and sentence structures?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the "Canada" wordmark displayed in the lower right position of the page?
2. Is the institutional signature displayed in the upper left position of the page?
3. Welcome Page for a bilingual or multilingual site provided by an office located outside of Quebec:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures English on the left and French on the right?
4. Welcome Page for a bilingual or multilingual site provided by an office located inside of Quebec:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures French on the left and English on the right?
5. Welcome Page for a unilingual English site:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures English on the left and French on the right?
6. Welcome Page for a unilingual French site:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures French on the left and English on the right?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page displayed in the centre of the browser window?
2. Is the default background colour white (#FFFFFF) for the main content area?
3. Is the default background colour white (#FFFFFF) for the open space surrounding the Web page?
4. Is the page 760 pixels wide?
5. Is all content visible at 800 pixels by 600 pixels resolution without scrolling?
6. Are the left and right margins of the page 80 pixels wide?
7. Are the top and bottom margins of the page 20 pixels wide?
8. Is the institutional message space 600 pixels wide by 250 pixels high?
9. Is the right edge of the "Canada" wordmark aligned with the right margin of the page?
10. Welcome Page for a bilingual or multilingual site:
    1. Are the institutional signature, institutional message space, language choice links and important notices links left aligned?
    2. Are the language choice links positioned 30 pixels below the institutional message space?
    3. Are the language choice links presented side by side with a 30 pixel separation (at the normal text size setting)?
    4. Are the language choice links to the left of the "Canada" wordmark?
    5. Is the top edge of the "Canada" wordmark aligned with the top edge of the language choice links?
    6. Is the English important notices link provided with the link text "Important Notices"?
    7. Is the French important notices link provided with the link text "Avis importants"?
    8. Is the English important notices link positioned under and left aligned with the left edge of the English language choice link?
    9. Is the French important notices link positioned under and left aligned with the left edge of the French language choice link?
    10. Is the target of the English important notices link one of the following:
        1. the English primary important notices page of the main institutional site; or
        2. the English primary important notices page of the current site or sub site?
    11. Is the target of the French important notices link one of the following:
        1. the French primary important notices page of the main institutional site; or
        2. the French primary important notices page of the current site or sub site?
11. Welcome Page for a unilingual English site:
    1. Are the institutional signature, institutional message space, language choice links, and site entry link left aligned?
    2. Is the site entry link positioned 30 pixels below the institutional message space?
    3. Is the site entry link to the left of the "Canada" wordmark?
    4. Is the important notices link provided with the link text "Important Notices"?
    5. Is the English important notices link positioned under and left aligned with the left edge of the bilingual message regarding content in only one language?
    6. Is the target of the important notices link one of the following:
       1. the English primary important notices page of the main institutional site; or
       2. the English primary important notices page of the current site or sub site?
12. Welcome Page for a unilingual French site:
    1. Are the institutional signature, institutional message space, language choice links, and site entry link left aligned?
    2. Is the site entry link positioned 30 pixels below the institutional message space?
    3. Is the site entry link to the left of the "Canada" wordmark?
    4. Is the important notices link provided with the link text "Avis importants"?
    5. Is the important notices link positioned under and left aligned with the left edge of the bilingual message regarding content in only one language?
    6. Is the target of the important notices link one of the following:
       1. the French primary important notices page of the main institutional site; or
       2. the French primary important notices page of the current site or sub site?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the institutional message space one of the following:
   1. an image measuring 600 pixels wide by 130 pixels high positioned directly above a rectangular field measuring 600 pixels wide by 120 pixels high with introductory text in both official languages in the foreground; or
   2. a background image measuring 600 pixels wide by 250 pixels high with introductory text in both official languages?
2. Text elements are smaller than equivalent 18 point and 14 point bold fonts (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 4:1 contrast ratio achieved between the text elements and the background colour or image?
3. Text elements are at least as large as an equivalent 18 point or 14 point bold font (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 3:1 contrast ratio achieved between the text elements and the background colour or image?
4. Is the introductory text in both official languages provided in a single level 1 heading element ("h1")?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 50% compliance)

1. Text elements are smaller than equivalent 18 point and 14 point bold fonts (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 4.25:1 contrast ratio achieved between the text elements and the background colour or image?
2. Are lower level heading elements ("h2", "h3", "h4", "h5", and "h6") used in sequential order as required?
3. Are the sizes of all visible headings relative to the position in the heading hierarchy, that is level 1 heading element ("h1") text is larger than level 2 heading element ("h2") text and so on?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in no more than 75% compliance)

1. Text elements are smaller than equivalent 18 point and 14 point bold fonts (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio achieved between the text elements and the background colour or image?

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Welcome Page for a bilingual site

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Welcome Page for unilingual site

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Welcome Page for a multilingual site

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the width of the page 760 pixels?
2. Exceptional cases where specific content, including maps, large tables, charts and graphs cannot adjust by way of wrapping to the standard 760 pixel width or by altering the content and its structure:
   1. Is the content only extended to the right?
   2. Are site visitors informed that the content area is larger than usual?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the content page centered and presented in one of three designs: a three-column layout, a two-column layout, or a one-column layout?

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Content page with a three-column layout or a main page for a site or sub site

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Content page with a two-column layout

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Content page with a one-column layout

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page displayed in the centre of the browser window?
2. Is the default background colour white (#FFFFFF) for the 760 pixel wide page?
3. Is a colour in the Web-Smart colour palette used for the background colour of the open space surrounding the Web page?
4. Is the open space surrounding the Web page free of foreground and background images?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are heading elements used to convey document structure?
2. Is a level 1 heading element ("h1") used to identify the beginning of the common menu bar?
3. Is a level 1 heading element ("h1") used to identify the beginning of the content area?
4. Are level 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 heading elements ("h2", "h3", "h4", "h5", and "h6") used in sequential order to identify all sections of the content area?
5. Are level 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 heading elements ("h2", "h3", "h4", "h5", and "h6") used to clarify the hierarchical structure of the content area?
6. Content page with a two-column or three-column layout:
   1. Is a level 1 heading element ("h1") used to identify the beginning of the left side menu?
   2. Are level 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 heading elements ("h2", "h3", "h4", "h5", and "h6") used in sequential order to identify all sections of the side menu(s)?
   3. Are level 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 heading elements ("h2", "h3", "h4", "h5", and "h6") used to clarify the hierarchical structure of the side menu(s)?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 50% compliance)

1. Is the page free of heading elements that are used solely for visual purposes?
2. Are the sizes of all visible headings relative to the position in the heading hierarchy, that is level 1 heading element ("h1") text is larger than level 2 heading element ("h2") text and so on?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the font face for text elements in the content area specified using CSS with Verdana as the default?
2. Content page with a two-column or three-column layout:
   1. Is the font face for text elements in the side menu(s) specified using CSS with Verdana as the default?
3. Meaningful textual information is smaller than equivalent 18 point and 14 point bold fonts (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 4:1 contrast ratio achieved between the meaningful textual information and the background colour or image?
4. Meaningful textual information is at least as large as an equivalent 18 point or 14 point bold font (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 3:1 contrast ratio achieved between the meaningful textual information and the background colour or image?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 50% compliance)

1. Meaningful textual information is smaller than equivalent 18 point and 14 point bold fonts (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 4.25:1 contrast ratio achieved between the meaningful textual information and the background colour or image?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 75% compliance)

1. Meaningful textual information is smaller than equivalent 18 point and 14 point bold fonts (at the normal text size setting):
   1. Is at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio achieved between the meaningful textual information and the background colour or image?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the "Canada" wordmark displayed in the upper right position of the page?
2. Is the institutional signature displayed in the upper left position of the page?
3. English content page:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures English on the left and French on the right?
   2. Is a content date indicator provided in the form "Date Modified: YYYY-MM-DD" to follow the ISO standard format for all-numeric date display?
4. French content page:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures French on the left and English on the right?
   2. Is a content date indicator provided in the form "Date de modification : AAAA‑MM‑JJ" to follow the ISO standard format for all-numeric date display?
5. Content page in a language other than English or French for a site provided by an office located outside of Quebec:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures English on the left and French on the right?
   2. Is a content date indicator provided in the ISO standard format for all-numeric date display (YYYY-MM-DD)?
6. Content page in a language other than English or French for a site provided by an office located inside of Quebec:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures French on the left and English on the right?
   2. Is a content date indicator provided in the ISO standard format for all-numeric date display (YYYY-MM-DD)?
7. Is the date specified by the content date indicator the most recent date on which the content was formally issued, substantially changed, or reviewed?
8. Is the content date indicator left aligned with the left margin of the page and included in the final line of content of the page?
9. Is the font face for the content date indicator specified using CSS with Verdana as the default and sans-serif as an alternate font?
10. Is the default background colour white (#FFFFFF) for the content date indicator?
11. Is at least a 4:1 contrast ratio achieved between the content date indicator and the associated background?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 50% compliance)

1. Is at least a 4.25:1 contrast ratio achieved between the content date indicator and the associated background?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 75% compliance)

1. Is at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio achieved between the content date indicator and the associated background?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the common red maple leaf provided on the institutional banner?
2. Is the common red maple leaf 65 pixels high and 65 pixels wide?
3. Is the common red maple leaf displayed over the banner background, with the top 35 pixels of the leaf image extending above the background?
4. Is the top of the common red maple leaf placed 5 pixels below the bottom of the final text in the institutional signature?
5. Is the stem of the common red maple leaf centered on the page, 380 pixels from the left border of the page?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the banner background implemented using either a background colour or a background image?

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Content page using a background colour for the banner background

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Content page using a background image for the banner background

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are the banner multimedia elements fully contained with the 760 pixels wide by 80 pixels high banner dimensions?
2. Is the banner text perceivable and readable with and without adaptive technologies when multimedia support is enabled?
3. Is the banner text perceivable and readable with and without adaptive technologies when multimedia support is not enabled or is not available on the site visitor's system?
4. Are the banner multimedia elements free of content that flickers (flashes more than three times in any one second period)?

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Content page

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Content page

Compliance Criteria – Web page

Situation where applicable: Content page

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. English content page:
   1. Are the following six links arrayed from left to right in the following order in the common menu bar: Français, Home, Contact Us, Help, Search, canada.gc.ca?
2. French content page:
   1. Are the following six links arrayed from left to right in the following order in the common menu bar: English, Accueil, Contactez-nous, Aide, Recherche, canada.gc.ca?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. English content page:
   1. Are the following six links arrayed from left to right in the following order in the common menu bar: Avertissement, Home, Contact Us, Help, Search, canada.gc.ca?
2. French content page:
   1. Are the following six links arrayed from left to right in the following order in the common menu bar: Notice, Accueil, Contactez-nous, Aide, Recherche, canada.gc.ca?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are both English and French common menu bars provided?
2. Content page for a site provided by an office outside of Quebec:
   1. Is the English common menu bar provided immediately above the French common menu bar?
3. Content page for a site provided by an office inside of Quebec:
   1. Is the French common menu bar provided immediately above the English common menu bar?
4. Are the following six links arrayed from left to right in the following order in the English common menu bar: Français, Home, Contact Us, Help, Search, canada.gc.ca?
5. Are the following six links arrayed from left to right in the following order in the French common menu bar: English, Accueil, Contactez-nous, Aide, Recherche, canada.gc.ca?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the total width of the common menu bar(s) 760 pixels?
2. Is the default font colour white (#FFFFFF) for each navigation link in the common menu bar(s)?
3. Is each navigation link in the common menu bar(s) presented in scalable text?
4. Is each navigation link in the common menu bar(s) left aligned?
5. Is the font face for all navigation links in the common menu bar(s) specified using CSS with Verdana as the default and sans-serif as an alternate font?
6. Is the size for all navigation links in the common menu bar(s) equal to or greater than a 9 point Verdana font (at the normal text size setting) and specified using CSS?
7. Are all navigation links in the common menu bar(s) (except for the right-most links(s)) contained within rectangular fields of 126 pixels by 20 pixels (at the normal text size setting)?
8. Are the right-most links in the common menu bar(s) contained within rectangular fields of 125 pixels by 20 pixels (at the normal text size setting)?
9. Is the default background colour black (#000000) for each rectangular field in the common menu bar(s)?
10. Are 1-pixel-wide vertical spacers, that are white (#FFFFFF) in colour, used to separate each rectangular field in the common menu bar(s)?
11. Is/are the common menu bar(s) free of effects that change the appearance or the behaviour of the common menu bar(s) themselves including the associated text, navigation links, and rectangular fields?
12. Is/are the common menu bar(s) free of graphical buttons?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are the links from the common menu bar(s) (excluding the language link(s)) directed to interstitial pages where the site visitor is informed of the repercussions of leaving and can then choose to continue to the intended destination or return to the previous page?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are all non-XHTML documents linked to from the page compliant with requirements relating to official languages?
2. Are all non-XHTML documents linked to from the page compliant with requirements relating to the Federal Identify Program?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the page free of secondary or institutional menu bars outside of the content area and the side menu(s)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. English content page for a bilingual site:
   1. Is the target of the "Français" common menu bar link a page with identical content in French?
2. French content page for a bilingual site:
   1. Is the target of the "English" common menu bar link a page with identical content in English?
3. English content page for a unilingual site:
   1. Is the target of the "Avertissement" common menu bar link a page that provides a bilingual message which informs site visitors that, under the Official Languages Act, the site provides information in English only and provides a link to another site of the same institution that provides general information in both official languages?
4. French content page for a unilingual site:
   1. Is the target of the "Notice" common menu bar link a page that provides a bilingual message which informs site visitors that, under the Official Languages Act, the site provides information in French only and provides a link to another site of the same institution that provides general information in both official languages?
5. Content page in a language other than English or French:
   1. Is the target of the "Français" English common menu bar link a page with identical content in French?
   2. Is the target of the "English" French common menu bar link a page with identical content in English?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Institutional site or sub site (excluding multidepartment sites and sites related to a marketing campaign or government initiative):
   1. English content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Home" common menu bar link the English main page of the main institutional site?
   2. French content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Accueil" common menu bar link the French main page of the main institutional site?
   3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
      1. Is the target of the "Home" English common menu bar link the English main page of the main institutional site?
      2. Is the target of the "Accueil" French common menu bar link the French main page of the main institutional site?
2. Multidepartment site or a site related to a marketing campaign or government initiative:
   1. English content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Home" common menu bar link the English main page of the current site?
   2. French content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Accueil" common menu bar link the French main page of the current site?
   3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
      1. Is the target of the "Home" English common menu bar link the English main page of the current site?
      2. Is the target of the "Accueil" French common menu bar link the French main page of the current site?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Institutional site or sub site (excluding multidepartment sites and sites related to a marketing campaign or government initiative):
   1. English content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Contact Us" common menu bar link the English primary contact page of the main institutional site?
   2. French content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Contactez-nous" common menu bar link the French primary contact page of the main institutional site?
   3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
      1. Is the target of the "Contact Us" English common menu bar link the English primary contact page of the main institutional site?
      2. Is the target of the "Contactez-nous" French common menu bar link the French primary contact page of the main institutional site?
2. Multidepartment site or a site related to a marketing campaign or government initiative:
   1. English content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Contact Us" common menu bar link the English primary contact page of the current site or the main institutional site?
   2. French content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Contactez-nous" common menu bar link the French primary contact page of the current site or the main institutional site?
   3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
      1. Is the target of the "Contact Us" English common menu bar link the English primary contact page of the current site or the main institutional site?
      2. Is the target of the "Contactez-nous" French common menu bar link the French primary contact page of the current site or the main institutional site?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Institutional site or sub site (excluding multidepartment sites and sites related to a marketing campaign or government initiative):
   1. English content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Help" common menu bar link the English primary help page of the main institutional site?
   2. French content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Aide" common menu bar link the French primary help page of the main institutional site?
   3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
      1. Is the target of the "Help" English common menu bar link the English primary help page of the main institutional site?
      2. Is the target of the "Aide" French common menu bar link the French primary help page of the main institutional site?
   4. Primary help page:
      1. Is an overview of any accessibility features available on the Web site provided?
      2. Government of Canada CLF 2.0 Common Template used:
         1. Is a link to client-side CSS instructions for over-riding visual formatting in the template provided?
2. Multidepartment site or site related to a marketing campaign or government initiative:
   1. English content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Help" common menu bar link the English primary help page of the current site or the main institutional site?
   2. French content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Aide" common menu bar link the French primary help page of the current site or the main institutional site?
   3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
      1. Is the target of the "Help" English common menu bar link the English primary help page of the current site or the main institutional site?
      2. Is the target of the "Aide" French common menu bar link the French primary help page of the current site or the main institutional site?
   4. Primary help page:
      1. Is an overview of any accessibility features available on the Web site provided?
      2. Government of Canada CLF 2.0 Common Template used:
         1. Is a link to client-side CSS instructions for over-riding visual formatting in the template provided?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Institution is unable to provide search functionality:
   1. English content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Search" common menu bar link an English page that explains that search functionality is unavailable and provides a link to the English Canada Site search page?
   2. French content page:
      1. Is the target of the "Recherche" common menu bar link a French page that explains that search functionality is unavailable and provides a link to the French Canada Site search page?
   3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
      1. Is the target of the "Search" English common menu bar link an English page that explains that search functionality is unavailable and provides a link to the English Canada Site search page?
      2. Is the target of the "Recherche" French common menu bar link a French page that explains that search functionality is unavailable and provides a link to the French Canada Site search page?
2. Institution is able to provide search functionality:
   1. Institutional site or sub site (excluding multidepartment sites and sites related to a marketing campaign or government initiative):
      1. English content page:
         1. Is the target of the "Search" common menu bar link the English primary search page of the main institutional site?
      2. French content page:
         1. Is the target of the "Recherche" common menu bar link the French primary search page of the main institutional site?
      3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
         1. Is the target of the "Search" English common menu bar link the English primary search page of the main institutional site?
         2. Is the target of the "Recherche" French common menu bar link the French primary search page of the main institutional site?
   2. Multidepartment site or a site related to a marketing campaign or government initiative:
      1. English content page:
         1. Is the target of the "Search" common menu bar link the English primary search page of the current site or the main institutional site?
      2. French content page:
         1. Is the target of the "Recherche" common menu bar link the French primary search page of the current site or the main institutional site?
      3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
         1. Is the target of the "Search" English common menu bar link the English primary search page of the current site or the main institutional site?
         2. Is the target of the "Recherche" French common menu bar link the French primary search page of the current site or the main institutional site?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. English content page:
   1. Is the target of the "canada.gc.ca" common menu bar link the English main page of the Government of Canada's Web portal?
2. French content page:
   1. Is the target of the "canada.gc.ca" common menu bar link the French main page of the Government of Canada's Web portal?
3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
   1. Is the target of the "canada.gc.ca" English common menu bar link the English main page of the Government of Canada's Web portal?
   2. Is the target of the "canada.gc.ca" French common menu bar link the French main page of the Government of Canada's Web portal?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are site visitors informed that their comments have been received each time they successfully submit any of the Web forms on the page that are provided as a means of contacting the institution?
2. Is an automatic acknowledgement that the correspondence has been received sent each time a site visitor contacts the institution through any of the generic email addresses listed on the page?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is a strip of colour measuring 760 pixels wide by 15 pixels high provided as the first element in the footer?
2. Is the strip of colour presented using a single colour in the Web-Smart colour palette?
3. Is the strip of colour free of graphics including images loaded through CSS?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. English content page:
   1. Is a content date indicator provided immediately below the colour strip in the footer, in the form "Date Modified: YYYY-MM-DD" to follow the ISO standard format for all-numeric date display?
2. French content page:
   1. Is a content date indicator provided immediately below the colour strip in the footer, in the form "Date de modification : AAAA-MM-JJ" to follow the ISO standard format for all-numeric date display?
3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
   1. Is a content date indicator provided in the ISO standard format for all-numeric date display (YYYY-MM-DD)?
4. Is the date specified by the content date indicator the most recent date on which the content was formally issued, substantially changed, or reviewed?
5. Is the content date indicator left aligned with the left margin of the page and included in the final line of content of the page?
6. Is the font face for the content date indicator specified using CSS with Verdana as the default and sans-serif as an alternate font?
7. Is the default background colour white (#FFFFFF) for the content date indicator?
8. Is at least a 4:1 contrast ratio achieved between the content date indicator and the associated background?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 50% compliance)

1. Is at least a 4.25:1 contrast ratio achieved between the content date indicator and the associated background?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 75% compliance)

1. Is at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio achieved between the content date indicator and the associated background?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. English content page:
   1. Is the top of page link provided in the footer, consisting of a triangle graphic and the text "Top of Page"?
2. French content page:
   1. Is the top of page link provided in the footer, consisting of a triangle graphic and the text "Haut de la page"?
3. Is the target of the top of page link the area immediately before the institutional signature at the top of the current page?
4. Is the top of page link centered on the page and included in the final line of content of the page?
5. Is the font face for the top of page link specified using CSS with Verdana as the default and sans-serif as an alternate font?
6. Is the default background colour white (#FFFFFF) for the top of page link?
7. Is at least a 4:1 contrast ratio achieved between the top of page link and the associated background?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 50% compliance)

1. Is at least a 4.25:1 contrast ratio achieved between the top of page link and the associated background?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 75% compliance)

1. Is at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio achieved between the top of page link and the associated background?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. English content page:
   1. Is the important notices link provided in the footer with the link text "Important Notices"?
   2. Is the target of the important notices link one of the following:
      1. the English primary important notices page of the main institutional site; or
      2. the English primary important notices page of the current site or sub site?
2. French content page:
   1. Is the important notices link provided in the footer with the link text "Avis importants"?
   2. Is the target of the important notices link one of the following:
      1. the French primary important notices page of the main institutional site; or
      2. the French primary important notices page of the current site or sub site?
3. Content page in a language other than English or French:
   1. Is the English important notices link provided in the footer with the link text "Important Notices"?
   2. Is the French important notices link provided in the footer with the link text "Avis importants"?
   3. Is the target of the English important notices link one of the following:
      1. the English primary important notices page of the main institutional site; or
      2. the English primary important notices page of the current site or sub site?
   4. Is the target of the French important notices link one of the following:
      1. the French primary important notices page of the main institutional site; or
      2. the French primary important notices page of the current site or sub site?
4. Is the important notices link right aligned with the right margin of the page and included in the final line of content of the page?
5. Is the font face for the important notices link specified using CSS with Verdana as the default and sans-serif as an alternate font?
6. Is the default background colour white (#FFFFFF) for the important notices link?
7. Is at least a 4:1 contrast ratio achieved between the important notices link and the associated background?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 50% compliance)

1. Is at least a 4.25:1 contrast ratio achieved between the important notices link and the associated background?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 75% compliance)

1. Is at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio achieved between the important notices link and the associated background?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is a privacy notice provided that includes the following elements even if no personal information is collected through the site:
   1. Identification of the organization and how it can be contacted, including the name or position title of the person to contact with any Web site privacy concerns, usually the institution's Privacy Coordinator;
   2. A clear description of any personal information that is collected automatically, a statement that such information is protected under the Privacy Act, the purpose for which it is collected, who will have access to it, how long it is kept, where it is kept and how individuals can access and correct their own personal information;
   3. A statement explaining that should the site visitor choose to provide personal information through email or other means, such information is protected under the Privacy Act and will only be used for the specific purposes for which it has been provided, such as to respond to a specific request, or where required by law, how long it is kept, where it is kept and how to obtain access and request corrections;
   4. A statement that non-identifiable or statistical information may be collected for audit purposes, for use in maximizing effectiveness, or for another purpose specified here, if this is the case;
   5. An explanation of any security use of information for purposes such as tracking suspected intrusions or the source of a computer virus, or controlling access to the system;
   6. A statement concerning whether cookies, or any other data, are placed on the site visitor's machine, the type of cookies used (session or persistent), a definition of each type and how they are used;
   7. A description of any privacy-enhancing technologies in use or available for use, such as the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) or Secure Socket Layer (SSL);
   8. A statement that individuals may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner if they are dissatisfied with the response they receive from the institution privacy contact on a privacy concern with the Web site;
   9. Where applicable, a statement regarding any specific institutional policy on collecting information from children online; and
   10. A statement reminding site visitors that, unless specifically noted otherwise, neither electronic systems nor email are secure information transmission methods, and that it is not recommended that sensitive personal information be transmitted electronically?
2. Institution uses an outside service provider as a Webmaster and provides a link for sending a message to the Webmaster:
   1. Is the outside service provider under a contractual obligation to treat any personal information as though it were covered by the Privacy Act?
   2. Is it made clear to site visitors that they are sending information outside the institution?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is an Official Languages Notice provided to inform Web site visitors of their right to receive information and to interact with the Government of Canada in the official language of their choice?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is a Hyperlinking Notice provided to inform site visitors of what expectations they should have about links to other Web sites, including accuracy, currency, and official languages?
2. Is a statement that there are no official languages obligations for non-Government Canada sites provided in the Hyperlinking Notice?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is a Copyright / Permission to Reproduce Notice provided to inform site visitors of content ownership and the conditions associated with reproduction of materials posted on Government of Canada Web sites?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is a Reproduction of Government Symbols Notice provided to inform site visitors that the official symbols of the Government of Canada, including the "Canada" wordmark, the Arms of Canada, and the flag symbol may not be reproduced, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without written authorization?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the portion of the email address preceding the @ sign for each email address associated with a Government of Canada employee in the order of the employee's given name on the left and family name on the right with a period separating the two names and including any additional characters needed to resolve naming conflicts (such as John.Smith@)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the portion of the email address preceding the @ sign for the "From" and "Reply-To" email addresses for each email account associated with a Government of Canada employee in the order of the employee's given name on the left and family name on the right with a period separating the two names and including any additional characters needed to resolve naming conflicts (such as John.Smith@)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the domain name in the .gc.ca sub domain for each email address associated with a Government of Canada employee?
2. Is the domain name one of the following for each email address associated with a Government of Canada employee:
   1. domain name used for either the "From" or "Reply-To" email address of the email account associated with the Government of Canada employee?
   2. Employee of a unilingual institution:
      1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site?
   3. Employee of a bilingual institution:
      1. Primary domain name of the main institutional site has the same meaning and spelling in both official languages (such as ec.gc.ca):
         1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site (such as @ec.gc.ca)?
      2. Primary domain name of the main institutional site is in both official languages with a hyphen separating the two languages (such as tbs-sct.gc.ca):
         1. English page:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of English on the left and French on the right (such as @tbs-sct.gc.ca or @inac-ainc.gc.ca); or
            2. unilingual English version of the primary domain name of the main institutional Web site (such as @tbs.gc.ca or @inac.gc.ca)?
         2. French page:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of French on the left and English on the right (such as @sct-tbs.gc.ca or @ainc-inac.gc.ca); or
            2. unilingual French version of the primary domain name of the main institutional Web site (such as @sct.gc.ca or @ainc.gc.ca)?
         3. Bilingual or multilingual page provided by an office outside of Quebec:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of English on the left and French on the right (such as @tbs-sct.gc.ca or @inac-ainc.gc.ca)?
         4. Bilingual or multilingual page provided by an office inside of Quebec:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of French on the left and English on the right (such as @sct-tbs.gc.ca or @ainc-inac.gc.ca)?
         5. Page in a language other than English or French provided by an office outside of Quebec:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of English on the left and French on the right (such as @tbs-sct.gc.ca or @inac-ainc.gc.ca)?
         6. Page in a language other than English or French provided by an office inside of Quebec:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of French on the left and English on the right (such as @sct-tbs.gc.ca or @ainc-inac.gc.ca)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the domain name in the .gc.ca sub domain used for the "From" and "Reply-To" email addresses of each email account associated with a Government of Canada employee?
2. Are the domain names the same and one of the following for the "From" and "Reply-To" email addresses of each email account associated with a Government of Canada employee:
   1. Employee of a unilingual institution:
      1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site?
   2. Employee of a bilingual institution:
      1. Primary domain name of the main institutional site has the same meaning and spelling in both official languages (such as ec.gc.ca):
         1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site (such as @ec.gc.ca)?
      2. Primary domain name of the main institutional site is in both official languages with a hyphen separating the two languages (such as tbs-sct.gc.ca):
         1. Employee located in a bilingual office outside of Quebec:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of English on the left and French on the right (such as @tbs-sct.gc.ca or @inac-ainc.gc.ca)?
         2. Employee located in a bilingual office inside of Quebec:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of French on the left and English on the right (such as @sct-tbs.gc.ca or @ainc-inac.gc.ca)?
         3. Employee located in a unilingual English office:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of English on the left and French on the right (such as @tbs-sct.gc.ca or @inac-ainc.gc.ca); or
            2. unilingual English version of the primary domain name of the main institutional Web site (such as @tbs.gc.ca or @inac.gc.ca)?
         4. Employee located in a unilingual French office:
            1. primary domain name of the main institutional Web site with the order of French on the left and English on the right (such as @sct-tbs.gc.ca or @ainc-inac.gc.ca); or
            2. unilingual French version of the primary domain name of the main institutional Web site (such as @sct.gc.ca or @ainc.gc.ca)?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the signature block for the email account associated with a Government of Canada employee included in the initial email, response, or forward of any email thread involving one or more non-Government of Canada recipients?
2. Employee located in a bilingual office outside of Quebec:
   1. Are all signature block elements provided in both official languages in the order of English on the left and French on the right with a vertical bar separating the two languages (such as "Telephone | Téléphone")?
3. Employee located in a bilingual office inside of Quebec:
   1. Are all signature block elements provided in both official languages in the order of French on the left and English on the right with a vertical bar separating the two languages (such as "Téléphone | Telephone")?
4. Employee located in a unilingual English office:
   1. Is the signature block one of the following:
      1. signature block elements in both official languages in the order of English on the left and French on the right with a vertical bar separating the two languages (such as "Telephone | Téléphone"); or
      2. signature block elements in English only (such as "Telephone")?
5. Employee located in a unilingual French office:
   1. Is the signature block one of the following:
      1. signature block elements in both official languages in the order of French on the left and English on the right with a vertical bar separating the two languages (such as "Téléphone | Telephone"); or
      2. signature block elements in French only (such as "Téléphone")?
6. Are the following elements included in the signature block at a minimum:
   1. the sender's given name or initial(s);
   2. the sender's family name;
   3. the sender's organizational information (such as the individual's title, branch, or division);
   4. the "From" email address;
   5. Employee located in a bilingual office outside of Quebec:
      1. the telephone number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 and extension number preceded by the words "Telephone | Téléphone";
      2. the teletypewriter number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Teletypewriter | Téléimprimeur";
      3. the facsimile number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Facsimile | Télécopieur";
      4. the text "Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada";
   6. Employee located in a bilingual office inside of Quebec:
      1. the telephone number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 and extension number preceded by the words "Téléphone | Telephone";
      2. the teletypewriter number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Téléimprimeur | Teletypewriter";
      3. the facsimile number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Télécopieur | Facsimile";
      4. the text "Gouvernement du Canada | Government of Canada";
   7. Employee located in a unilingual English office:
      1. the telephone number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 and extension number preceded by the words "Telephone | Téléphone" or "Telephone";
      2. the teletypewriter number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Teletypewriter | Téléimprimeur" or "Teletypewriter";
      3. the facsimile number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Facsimile | Télécopieur" or "Facsimile";
      4. the text "Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada" or "Government of Canada";
   8. Employee located in a unilingual French office:
      1. the telephone number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 and extension number preceded by the words "Téléphone | Telephone" or "Téléphone";
      2. the teletypewriter number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Téléimprimeur | Teletypewriter" or "Téléimprimeur";
      3. the facsimile number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Télécopieur | Facsimile" or "Télécopieur";
      4. the text "Gouvernement du Canada | Government of Canada" or "Gouvernement du Canada";
   9. the postal address; and
   10. the institution's applied title?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the signature block for the generic Government of Canada email account included in the initial email, response, or forward of any email thread involving one or more non-Government of Canada recipients?
2. Email account associated with a bilingual office outside of Quebec:
   1. Are all signature block elements provided in both official languages in the order of English on the left and French on the right with a vertical bar separating the two languages (such as "Telephone | Téléphone")?
3. Email account associated with a bilingual office inside of Quebec:
   1. Are all signature block elements provided in both official languages in the order of French on the left and English on the right with a vertical bar separating the two languages (such as "Téléphone | Telephone")?
4. Email account associated with a unilingual English office:
   1. Is the signature block one of the following:
      1. signature block elements in both official languages in the order of English on the left and French on the right with a vertical bar separating the two languages (such as "Telephone | Téléphone"); or
      2. signature block elements in English only (such as "Telephone")?
5. Email account associated with a unilingual French office:
   1. Is the signature block one of the following:
      1. signature block elements in both official languages in the order of French on the left and English on the right with a vertical bar separating the two languages (such as "Téléphone | Telephone"); or
      2. signature block elements in French only (such as "Téléphone")?
6. Are the following elements included in the signature block at a minimum:
   1. the program or service name;
   2. the "From" email address;
   3. Email account associated with a bilingual office outside of Quebec:
      1. the telephone number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 and extension number preceded by the words "Telephone | Téléphone";
      2. the teletypewriter number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Teletypewriter | Téléimprimeur";
      3. the facsimile number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Facsimile | Télécopieur";
      4. the text "Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada";
   4. Email account associated with a bilingual office inside of Quebec:
      1. the telephone number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 and extension number preceded by the words "Téléphone | Telephone";
      2. the teletypewriter number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Téléimprimeur | Teletypewriter";
      3. the facsimile number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Télécopieur | Facsimile";
      4. the text "Gouvernement du Canada | Government of Canada";
   5. Email account associated with a unilingual English office:
      1. the telephone number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 and extension number preceded by the words "Telephone | Téléphone" or "Telephone";
      2. the teletypewriter number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Teletypewriter | Téléimprimeur" or "Teletypewriter";
      3. the facsimile number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Facsimile | Télécopieur" or "Facsimile";
      4. the text "Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada" or "Government of Canada";
   6. Generic email account associated with a unilingual French office:
      1. the telephone number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 and extension number preceded by the words "Téléphone | Telephone" or "Téléphone";
      2. the teletypewriter number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Téléimprimeur | Teletypewriter" or "Téléimprimeur";
      3. the facsimile number with area code in the format 123-456-7890 preceded by the words "Télécopieur | Facsimile" or "Télécopieur";
      4. the text "Gouvernement du Canada | Government of Canada" or "Gouvernement du Canada";
   7. the postal address; and
   8. the institution's applied title?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Are the institutional signature and the "Canada" wordmark included in the signature block?
2. HTML-format email system:
   1. Are text equivalents provided in the form of alt text for the institutional signature and the "Canada" wordmark?
   2. Email account associated with a bilingual office outside of Quebec:
      1. Is the order of the official languages for the alt text English on the left and French on the right?
   3. Email account associated with a bilingual office inside of Quebec:
      1. Is the order of the official languages for the alt text French on the left and English on the right?
3. Email account associated with a bilingual office outside of Quebec:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures English on the left and French on the right?
4. Email account associated with a bilingual office inside of Quebec:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures French on the left and English on the right?
5. Email account associated with a unilingual English office:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures English on the left and French on the right?
6. Email account associated with a unilingual French office:
   1. Is the order of the official languages for bilingual institutional signatures French on the left and English on the right?

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is a sans-serif font face (such as Verdana or Arial) used for all text included in the signature block?
2. Is a font size in the range of 10 to 16 points used for all text included in the signature block?
3. Are the foreground and background colours neutral (such as black and white) for all meaningful information and the associated backgrounds in the signature block?
4. Is there at least a 4:1 contrast ratio between all meaningful information and the associated backgrounds in the signature block?

Medium priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 50% compliance)

1. Is there at least a 4.25:1 contrast ratio between all meaningful information and the associated backgrounds in the signature block?

Low priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 75% compliance)

1. Is there at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio between all meaningful information and the associated backgrounds in the signature block?

References

1. Email Signature Block Examples
2. Contrast Analyser (the paciello group)
3. Effective Colour Contrast (Lighthouse)
4. Making Text Legible (Lighthouse)
5. Vischeck: About Vischeck (Vischeck)
6. G18: Ensuring that a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 exists between text (and images of text) and background behind the text (WCAG 2.0)
7. G145: Ensuring that a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 exists between text (and images of text) and background behind the text (WCAG 2.0)
8. Contrast ratio (Glossary)
9. Meaningful information (Glossary)
10. Normal text size setting (Glossary)

High priority criteria (failure of a criterion results in 0% compliance)

1. Is the fulfillment of Part 4, Requirements 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 managed by the institution's email system administrators rather than by individual employees?