Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Triple-A

This is a simple distillation of the WAI guidelines, highlighting Priority 3 issues that must be addressed to reach the AAA standard. It's based on the official WAI guidelines, dated May 5, 1999.

To reach AAA standard, a site must also conform to the Priority 1 and 2 rules required for the (easier) standards A and Double-A. These are listed separately on the Tinhat Level-A page and Double-A pages.

1.5 Until user agents render text equivalents for client-side image map links, provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side image map. [Sounds the same as Level-A checkpoint 1.2, but the techniques are slightly different.]

2.2 Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen. [applies to text - images are covered in level double-A].

4.2 Specify the expansion of each abbreviation or acronym in a document where it first occurs. For example, in HTML, use the "title" attribute of the ABBR and ACRONYM elements.

4.3 Identify the primary natural language of a document.
For example, in HTML set the "lang" attribute on the HTML element. In XML, use "xml:lang". Server operators should configure servers to take advantage of HTTP content negotiation mechanisms ([RFC2068], section 14.13) so that clients can automatically retrieve documents of the preferred language.

5.5 Provide summaries for tables. For example, in HTML, use the "summary" attribute of the TABLE element.

5.6 Provide abbreviations for header labels. For example, in HTML, use the "abbr" attribute on the TH element.

9.4 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects. For example, in HTML, specify tab order via the "tabindex" attribute or ensure a logical page design.

9.5 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls.

10.3 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render side-by-side text correctly, provide a linear text alternative (on the current page or some other) for all tables that lay out text in parallel, word-wrapped columns.

10.4 Until user agents handle empty controls correctly, include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas.

10.5 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render adjacent links distinctly, include non-link, printable characters (surrounded by spaces) between adjacent links.

11.3 Provide information so that users may receive documents according to their preferences (e.g., language, content type, etc.)

13.5 Provide navigation bars to highlight and give access to the navigation mechanism.

13.6 Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group.

13.7 If search functions are provided, enable different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences.

13.8 Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.

13.9 Provide information about document collections (i.e., documents comprising multiple pages.).

13.10 Provide a means to skip over multi-line ASCII art. [Priority 3]

14.2 Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension of the page.

14.3 Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages.

This Tinhat page is valid XHTML to WAI Double-A standard

Copyright for the WAI excerpt © 1999 World Wide Web Consortium, (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics, Keio University). All Rights Reserved. http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/2002/copyright-documents-20021231
Status of the WAI document.