IWCG Guideline 3. Interactivity
The WCAG 2.1 and 3.0 guidelines focus on accessibility of basic elements rather than the design and stylistic choices made by developers. The following four success criteria define a basis for progressive enhancement, maintaining existing functionality whilst adding additional features for website content navigation.
3.1. Consistent interactions
Guideline
Maintain consistent interaction patterns across entire site and content components.
Description
Where interactivity is provided, this should be maintained in a consistent manner to aid users navigating multiple pages and content areas. Inconsistent interactions can impair access to information.
Information quality attributes
Consistent representation, interactivity, navigation, presentation
Critical errors
Variety of interaction methods applied inconsistently across page.
Rating for ‘Consistent interactions’
Rating | Criteria |
Rating 0 | Interaction methods vary within same page |
Rating 1 | Interaction methods vary across site |
Rating 2 | Standardised interactive elements hide key information from user |
Rating 3 | Interactive elements clearly identified with appropriate call-to-actions |
Rating 4 | Interactive elements provide affordance with reactive adaptation to user browsing preferences |
3.2. Expected layout
Guideline
Maintain layout consistency across pages and content areas.
Description
Maintaining consistent layouts across pages and content areas can aid user familiarity and facilitate easy access to information.
Information quality attributes
Interactivity, navigation, non-volatility, presentation
Critical errors
Content layout inconsistent between pages or sections of the same page.
Rating for ‘Expected layout’
Rating | Criteria |
Rating 0 | No consistency of layout |
Rating 1 | Not applicable |
Rating 2 | Some consistent layout elements; however, these vary across pages |
Rating 3 | Not applicable |
Rating 4 | Fully consistent page layouts with easy access to information |
3.3. Progressive enhancement
Guideline
Provide information as simply as possible with enhancements to build more complex pages.
Description
It is widely understood that web features should be designed and developed from the simplest to the most complex to aid compatibility and accessibility. This can be expanded to include content: content authors can start with short, simple snippets of information and build up to more complex pages. Taking this approach will aid the proves of writing content, as an outline can be provided initially and expanded upon once user needs are understood. Providing initial basic text will ensure that the content users seek is available in some format prior to the full provision of information.
Information quality attributes
Availability, fallback
Critical errors
Content not presented clearly with a reliance on complex formats or interactive features.
Rating for ‘Progressive enhancement’
Rating | Criteria |
Rating 0 | Complex features with content presented in difficult to read formats |
Rating 1 | Not applicable |
Rating 2 | Some complex features within content |
Rating 3 | Not applicable |
Rating 4 | No complex features within site |
3.4. Visibility
Guideline
Avoid hiding information within on-page navigational structures.
Description
During the initial case studies, there were occasions when the information users were seeking was available however it was hidden by the enhancements provided by the designers to aid navigation. Hiding information on a page will impair access to the content, therefore developers should avoid devices such as accordions which require user interactions to access relevant information.
Information quality attributes
Consistent representation, navigation, visibility
Critical errors
Not all information visible on the page by default.
Rating for ‘Visibility’
Rating | Criteria |
Rating 0 | Information hidden on page without clear identification to the user |
Rating 1 | Not applicable |
Rating 2 | Some information hidden on page with appropriate call-to-actions |
Rating 3 | Not applicable |
Rating 4 | No information hidden on page |