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2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide - short animation that repeats

for

From: glen walker
Date: Apr 17, 2020 9:41AM

If an animation plays for 3 seconds, it falls below the 5 second threshold
where 2.2.2 would apply. But if that animation plays again after 20
seconds have passed, is that considered longer than 5 seconds? Do you take
the cumulative animation time rather than the individual animation time?

3 seconds of animation + 20 seconds nothing happening + 3 seconds of
animation = 26 seconds?

I've always thought of it as cumulative but I've re-read the success
criterion and the understanding section and all the success examples and
all the sufficient techniques and all the failures several times and I'm
not sure someone couldn't argue that the success criterion only applies to
the individual animation, which is less than 5 seconds.

Part of the understanding section says that if an animation is less than 5
seconds, then a user can wait for it to stop and can then go about their
business and not be distracted. They'll be able to read the page for 20
seconds and then the animation will start again and distract the user.
They could again wait for the animation to stop then would have to
re-orient themselves back to what they were reading, which will take up
some of the 20 seconds they have to read before the animation starts again.

Logically (to me), it makes sense that we view the cumulative effect of the
animation but playing the devil's advocate, I could see someone arguing
they they made a 3 second animation. It just happens to repeat
occasionally and that that situation isn't spelled out in the success
criterion.

I think this type of argument would be focusing on the letter of the law
instead of the spirit of the law. The intent of 2.2.2 is to not be
distracting. What's the threshold of not being distracting? Can a 3
second animation play and then 5 or 10 minutes go by before it plays again
and that's not distracting? The threshold would be different for different
people.

I will keep promoting that animations be able to be stopped no matter how
much time occurs between the animations but was curious if anyone has run
into this situation.