NOTE: This is a quick summary of the July 28 Public Working Draft (FPWD) of WCAG 2.1.

How to comment?

 

Click a link to a Success Criterion in the table and ask yourself the following:

• Is it testable by expert human evaluation or automation?
• Is it implementable across technologies (or are exceptions sufficient)?
• Is it scalable across human languages?
• Could your organization implement 2.1? Why or why not?
• If not, do you have suggestions to improve it?

To comment, open a new issue on Github.

New Success Criteria in WCAG 2.1 July 28 Draft

Below are the proposed new Success Criteria summarized in plain language. Note: The 63 Success Criteria from WCAG 2.0 are grandfathered into WCAG 2.1. There may be consolidation in later drafts.

 

Success Criteria under consideration not yet reached consensus

By the end of August 2017 new SCs under consideration will be closed and we will move toward finalizing the accepted ones for the Candidate Recommendation. So a few of these may make it in before that time. If you have opinions on which we should focus on, feel free to comment.

Short Name	Plain language summary of requirements	Who does it help and how?	PR	Issue	SC #	Lvl
Support Personalization (Minimum)	Anticipates the release of a set of cognitive attributes (like wai-aria) with things like level of importance, etc. and ways to simplify UIs and reduce steps. (With exceptions)	Users with cognitive disabilities, low vision and others who need to personalize the interface, either to simplify it, or another change.	127	6	1.3.4	A
Linearization	Requires web page to reflow to a single column either by responsive design or a browser plugin (In development). (With exceptions)	Users with tunnel vision, low vision and cognitive disabilities who are either zoomed into the page and need to read without horizontal scroll.	89	58	1.4.10	A
Minimize user errors	Requires authors to automatically correct errors when that is possible.	Users with cognitive and other disabilities who have trouble filling in forms and knowing where there was a mistake.	97	13	3.3.7	A
Undo	Requires authors to provide a way to undo actions and go to previous steps in a process without loss of data.	Users with cognitive and other disabilities who have a tendency to make errors on input.	N/A	38	3.3.8	A
Provide Support	Requires authors to provide help for complex information, long documents, numerical information or cardinal directions.	Users with cognitive and other disabilities who need help with complicated, complex, long documents, numerical information and directions such as North, South etc...	129	32	3.3.9	AA
Familiar Design (Minimum)	Requires authors to provide help in standardized ways. (With exceptions)	Users with cognitive disabilities, who become confused when the interface changes between versions.	121	49	3.2.7	A
Manageable blocks	Requires authors to use rules of simple language for important information. (With exceptions)	Users with cognitive disabilities, who need smaller chunks of information.	N/A	24	3.1.8	AA
Extra Symbols	Requires authors to put symbols before text strings representing critical services and related instructions OR use attributes (in development) that will automatically generate symbols.	Users with cognitive disabilities, who will better understand important instructions with an image, icon or symbol.	115	50	3.1.9	AA
Plain language (Minimum)	Requires content authors to make instructions, labels, navigation, error messages in simple tense, common words, basic rules of grammar, clear writing. (With exceptions)	Users with cognitive disabilities, who need simpler language. (Also helps users in their non-native language).	135	30	3.1.7	A
Pointer inputs with additional sensors	Requires authors not to rely on pen pressure or tilt without an alternative for assistive technology or one finger, attained by X,Y coordinates on the screen. (With exceptions)	Users with dexterity disabilities who cannot use force touch, or pen pressure, tilt and twist. Helps ensure the user can perform the function with assistive technology or one finger.	144	66	2.5.2	A
Touch with Assistive Technology	Requires authors to use standard gestures, and not mess with custom gestures unless they don't interfere with the screen reader, or provide another way for the screen reader.	Users who are blind who use a screen reader that ships with the operating system, such as VoiceOver, Talkback, Narrator, particularly on mobile, will still be able to use the site when they turn on their Assistive Technology.	131	63	2.5.3	A
Pointer gestures	Requires authors to ensure the user can perform touch function with assistive technology or one finger.	Users with dexterity disabilities, those who are blind or have other disabilities that interfere with the use of timed gestures, multi finger, or complex gestures. They can use simple pointer events.	132	61	2.5.4	A
Device Sensors	Device sensors c. or provide an alternative for assistive technology or one finger.	Users who have their device mounted, or who cannot shake or tilt the device, can still use the site.	138	67	2.6.1	A
Printing	Requires that the page can be zoomed when printing, up to 200% the default printing size.	Users with low vision who need the print output to be larger.	141	76	1.4.13	AA
Popup Interference	Requires authors not to have floating elements that cover other content when page is zoomed, unless it's a closable component. For instance, if a CSS box is fixed with a high z-index, it will obscure other content under the element.	Users with low vision who need to work without hover behavior obscuring content.	N/A	75	1.4.16	AA
Animation from interactions	Requires authors not to use motion over 3 seconds as a result of a user clicking (or activating) something, or provide a way to turn it off. Addresses parallax scrolling and long CSS animations.	Users with vestibular disabilities (motion sickness) and those with cognitive disabilities who need to use the site without being triggered.	96	18	2.2.7	A
Timeouts	Requires authors to not use timeouts or save data to repopulate forms after timeout. (With exceptions)	Users with low vision and cognitive disabilities get extra time.	116	14	2.2.6	A

 

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Author information:

David MacDonald is a 15 year WCAG veteran and co-editor of Using WAI ARIA in HTML5 . Opinions are my own.