WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: WCAG 2 and Javascript

for

From: Steve Green
Date: May 13, 2009 4:25AM

- Do sites still have to work with all scripts turned off? Or can we use
"Accessible" Javascript, like here:
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/client-side-script.html

- Do all fonts need to be scaleable these days, or can we use image
replacement, such as a graphic to replace the text?

Would appreciate your help. If anyone can show me a site that simplifies the
WCAG 2, would greatly appreciate it!

--


With regard to JavaScript you are asking two separate questions. JavaScript
is an 'accessibility supported technology', so according to WCAG 2.0 you can
use JavaScript as long as you do so in a manner that is accessible.

The consensus seems to be that a site does not have to work with JavaScript
turned off as long as one of a number of criteria are met e.g. that a user
agent is easily and cheaply available that does support JavaScript.

In my view this is entirely unsatisfactory but it's what WCAG 2.0 says.
Basically it's telling users to get a new user agent if the one they have
doesn't support JavaScript. Never mind that they may not know how to or may
not have the necessary permissions to do so.

With regard to scalable fonts, you cannot use image replacement. Although
you could scale the image proportionally to the text size (yuck), the text
and background colours cannot be changed according to the user's preference.
I would also regard sIFR as being non-compliant for the same reason,
although it is less bad than image replacement because the quality does not
degrade when it is scaled.

A simplified version of WCAG 2.0? No chance. In fact it's going to get more
complicated because the WAI are hoping that people will continuously add to
the already vast quantity of documentation. In particular they would like to
see technology-specific interpretations of the technology-independent
success criteria. Rather like WCAG 1.0. Remind me what was the point of WCAG
2.0?

Steve Green
Director
Test Partners Ltd