ARCHIVED - Common Look and Feel Standards - Crosswalk Table Policy Requirements - Accessibility

All GC Web sites must comply with W3C Priority 1 and Priority 2 checkpoints to ensure sites can be easily accessed by the widest possible audience.

The institution respects the universal accessibility guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative by ensuring compliance of its Web sites with the Priority 1 and Priority 2 checkpoints of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG), with the following exception:

• WCAG checkpoint 3.4 is superseded by requirement 2 of the Common Look and Feel Standards for the Internet, Part 3: Standard on Common Web Page Formats.

Each of the WCAG's fourteen guidelines is accompanied by one or more actions that a page author must perform to meet the requirements of the guidelines. These actions are called "checkpoints".

Institutions must consult the Directive on the Use of Official Languages on Web Sites for direction regarding the application of official languages requirements to text equivalents and other non-textual elements.

Directive on the Use of Official Languages on Web Sites

The text equivalents and other non-textual elements used to describe the purpose and functions of images and graphics displayed on a page of a Web site are in the language of that page.

HTML or other W3C recommended languages must be the primary format for all documents on GC Web sites. In cases where the document cannot be represented in HTML, users should be given information on how to obtain alternate versions, e.g., print, Braille, audio, etc. Portable Document Format - PDF minimum Version 2.1 should only be used as an alternate format.

The institution uses standard methods to ensure accessibility of its products by employing or languages described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations. However, simply using these languages for markup or application design does not mean that products will be naturally accessible.

Where best efforts cannot make the content or application accessible - that is, where a document cannot be represented in XHTML 1.0 Strict or a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations - the institution must:

• include an Accessibility Notice on the same page, immediately preceding the inaccessible element(s), that informs site visitors how to obtain accessible versions including print, Braille, and audio; and
• include an Accessibility Notice on the "Help" page(s) of the Web site.

Providing accessible versions other than accessible XHTML is a "last resort" measure. It is not intended to be a convenient method of avoiding the often-minimal effort necessary to make Web pages or Web applications

To ensure universal accessibility, GC Web pages that offer information in alternate formats must include a text indication of the file type that provides a hyperlink to a site where the necessary software can be obtained.

The institution respects universal accessibility guidelines by ensuring that Web pages offering information in multiple formats include a text indication of the format, file type and size with each non-XHTML format link. For each format that requires specialized software, a hyperlink must be provided to a site where the appropriate viewer or plug-in application can be obtained. If an accessible version of a plug-in is also known to be available, then a note and a link to that product should also be included.

Neither this standard nor the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines suggest that a content provider cannot provide information in multiple formats. What they do require is that the first format encountered by a visitor is the most accessible version.

Sample treatments of documents in multiple formats and of multimedia files in multiple formats are provided in the CLF Toolbox.

All GC Web sites and their pages must incorporate text equivalents for non-textual elements, such as graphics, images, navigational aids, sound tracks, to ensure universal accessibility goals are achieved.

Redundant with Part 2, R1.

If HTML is used, HTML 4.0 Strict or newer W3C adopted languages should be adopted as the standard for new and revised Web pages.

To ensure content will be available to site visitors regardless of the technical configuration of their system or device, the institution must establish XHTML 1.0 Strict and Cascading Style Sheets 1.0 as the baseline technologies for Web page markup, layout and design.

If a page/site is explicitly designed to provide information to alternate technologies such as hand-held, print, Braille, and audio devices, such delivery should be handled with the "media" element in Cascading Style Sheets.

No longer relevant.

Absolute Pixel Size

Primary References for Accessible Web Site Design
Accessible On-line Forms
Cascading Style Sheets Design for all input devices
Accessible pop-up windows and menus
Accessibility across platforms

Refer to CLF Toolbox

Technique 1: Include A Statement

The institution uses standard methods to ensure accessibility of its products by employing or languages described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations.

However, simply using these languages for markup or application design does not mean that products will be naturally accessible.

Where best efforts cannot make the content or application accessible - that is, where a document cannot be represented in XHTML 1.0 Strict or a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations - the institution must:

• include an Accessibility Notice on the same page, immediately preceding the inaccessible element(s), that informs site visitors how to obtain accessible versions including print, Braille, and audio; and
• include an Accessibility Notice on the "Help" page(s) of the Web site.

Providing accessible versions other than accessible XHTML is a "last resort" measure. It is not intended to be a convenient method of avoiding the often-minimal effort necessary to make Web pages or Web applications accessible.

Technique 2: Accessible Markup

Refer to CLF Toolbox

Technique 3: Accessibility Notice

The institution uses standard methods to ensure accessibility of its products by employing or languages described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations.

However, simply using these languages for markup or application design does not mean that products will be naturally accessible.

Where best efforts cannot make the content or application accessible - that is, where a document cannot be represented in XHTML 1.0 Strict or a language described by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations - the institution must:

• include an Accessibility Notice on the same page, immediately preceding the inaccessible element(s), that informs site visitors how to obtain accessible versions including print, Braille, and audio; and
• include an Accessibility Notice on the "Help" page(s) of the Web site.

Providing accessible versions other than accessible XHTML is a "last resort" measure. It is not intended to be a convenient method of avoiding the often-minimal effort necessary to make Web pages or Web applications accessible.

Technique 4: Converting Legacy And PDF Documents
Technique 5: Manager's Guide To Multiple Format Production
Technique 6: Guidelines And Specifications For Providing Information In Multiple Formats

Refer to CLF Toolbox.

Non-HTML format

The institution respects universal accessibility guidelines by ensuring that Web pages offering information in multiple formats include a text indication of the format, file type and size with each non-XHTML format link. For each format that requires specialized software, a hyperlink must be provided to a site where the appropriate viewer or plug-in application can be obtained. If an accessible version of a plug-in is also known to be available, then a note and a link to that product should also be included.

Neither this standard nor the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines suggest that a content provider cannot provide information in multiple formats. What they do require is that the first format encountered by a visitor is the most accessible version.

Browser Testing

Refer to CLF Toolbox.

Media Attribute

No longer relevant.