Note

This archival content is maintained by WebAIM and NCDAE on behalf of TEITAC and the U.S. Access Board . Additional and up-to-date details on the updates to section 508 and section 255 can be found at the Access Board web site.

EWG:Metadata List: Product Characteristics

These terms describe characteristics, components or features of products. It is used in the provision format

  • Physical controls or connectors (latches, slots, etc.)
  • Touchscreen or touch sensitive buttons (non-mechanical)
  • Context-driven control (softkeys)
  • Mouse/Pointer Input
  • Keyboard (physical)
  • Printed text, labels, etc on the product itself
  • Visual display with text
  • Visual display with graphics
  • Color (on keys, labels, displays, indicators, documentation, etc.)
  • Sound output – speech
  • Sound output (other than speech)
  • Speaker held to ear or product projects large magnetic field
  • Speech encoding and transmission
  • Speech recognition
  • Biometric identification feature
  • Time synchronized media
  • Time limits of any type (timeout, double-clicks, keyrepeat, session length)
  • User documentation (any type – electronic or print)
  • Customer support/training
  • Supports user-installable at
  • Does not allow user-installable at (closed by policy)
  • User-installable at not feasible (underlying technology limit)
  • Could support user-installable at, but no at available
  • Passes information/data through (e.g. transmits or transports)
  • Electronic forms (web & other electronic)
  • Web content or applications
  • Allows user preferences
  • Network-based service or feature
  • Connects to a network for a service or feature


The list below here is the current list of characteristics from the filter tool:

  • Product has hardware component (not pure software)?
  • Any touchscreen or touch controls?
  • Any physical controls, latches etc?
  • Any keyboard or some way to connect a keyboard?
  • Any audio output? (Separate speech from other sounds?)
  • Any visual display or visual output (printed etc)?
  • Is product software that runs on platform with OS that has AT support?
  • Can assistive technology BE BOTH ATTACHED to AND INSTALLED in the product?
  • Does it involve web content or tools?
  • Is product a web authoring tool?
  • Is product audio/visual material?
  • Any ability to play or display audio-visual material?
  • Any real-time voice conversation functionality?

WebAIM is an initiative of:
Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) Utah State University