Appendix D: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines success criteria and best practices

Consideration Description Related WCAG success criteria/ best practice
Perceivable principle
Small screen size Optimize content for small screens, consider mobile versions or responsive design. 1.4.4 Resize text (Level AA) – Text must be resizable without assistive technology up to 200 percent. Ensure content does not prevent text magnification by the user.
Zoom/ Magnification Provide methods for users to control text size on mobile devices. 1.4.4 Resize text (Level AA) – Text must be resizable without assistive technology up to 200 percent. Implement features like browser pinch zoom without blocking to meet this criterion. Support system fonts following platform- level user preferences.
Contrast Ensure good contrast for varied environments, especially outdoors. 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) – Requires a contrast of at least 4.5:1 (or 3:1 for large-scale text). 1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) (Level AAA) – Requires a contrast of at least 7:1 (or 4.5:1 for large-scale text).
Operable principle
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Consideration Description Related WCAG success criteria/ best practice
Keyboard control for touchscreen devices Support external keyboards for various disabilities.

2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A) – All functionality is available from a keyboard.

2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level – Keyboard focus can be moved away from components that are not user input fields.

2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A) – Logical navigation sequence is present.

2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA) – Keyboard focus is visible and indicates the component currently in focus.

Touch Target Size and Spacing Ensure interactive elements are touch-accessible with sufficient size. Best practice is to ensure touch targets are at least 9 mm high by 9 mm wide.
Touchscreen Gestures Design gestures for ease of use, considering screen reader users. Follow design alternatives for complex gestures to accommodate screen reader users and those with motor or dexterity impairments.
Device Manipulation Gestures Provide alternatives for device manipulation gestures. Implement touch and keyboard operable alternative control options for device manipulation gestures.
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Consideration Description Related WCAG success criteria/ best practice
Placing buttons where they are easy to access Consider ease of access for different user preferences and needs.

2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) – The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context.

2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only) (Level AA) – A mechanism is available to allow the purpose of each link to be identified from link text alone.

Understandable principle
Changing screen orientation (portrait/ landscape) Support both orientations and notify users of changes programmatically. Best practice is to support both orientations or ensure easy orientation change.
Consistent layout Maintain consistent layouts across pages and screen sizes.

3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (Level AA) – Navigational mechanisms that are repeated on multiple Web pages within a set of Web pages occur in the same relative order each time they are repeated.

3.2.4 Consistent Identification (Level AA) – Components that have the same functionality within a set of Web pages are identified consistently.

Positioning important page elements before scroll Ensure vital information is visible without scrolling for users with low vision. Best practice is to place important elements before the page scroll to assist users with low vision, cognitive impairments, and improve consistency.
150
Consideration Description Related WCAG success criteria/ best practice
Grouping operable elements that perform the same action Improve touch target size and reduce redundancy for better usability.

2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) – The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context.

2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only) (Level AA) – A mechanism is available to allow the purpose of each link to be identified from link text alone.

Provide clear indication that elements are actionable Visually distinguish actionable elements for all users, especially those with vision impairments. Best practice is to use conventional visual features such as shape, colour, style, positioning, text label, or iconography to indicate actionable elements.
Provide instructions for custom touchscreen and device manipulation gestures Offer clear instructions for gestures, aiding discoverability and usability. 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A) – Labels or instructions are provided
Robust principle
Virtual keyboard for the type of data entry required Setting the type of keyboard helps prevent errors and ensures formats are correct but can be confusing for people who are using a are subtle changes in the keyboard. N/A
151
Consideration Description Related WCAG success criteria/ best practice
Easy data entry methods Users can enter information on mobile devices in multiple ways such as on-screen keyboard, Bluetooth keyboard, touch, and speech. Text entry can be time-consuming and difficult in certain circumstances. Reduce the amount of text entry needed by providing select menus, radio buttons, check boxes or by automatically entering known information (e.g. date, time, location). N/A
Support the characteristic properties of the platform Mobile devices provide many features to help users with disabilities interact with content. These include platform characteristics such as zoom, larger fonts, and captions. The features and functions available differ depending on the device and operating system version. For example, most platforms can set large fonts, but not all applications honour it for all text. Also, some applications might increase font size but not wrap text, causing horizontal scrolling. N/A
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