Notes for the reader

The document is divided into the following sections:

• Application-related requirements, which apply to the whole of the software,
• Element-spanning requirements, which apply to all or several UI elements,
• Text elements,
• Grafical elements,
• structural elements (for the structuring of the dialog boxes in individual areas),
• control elements,
• Composite control elements (complex control elements which consist of several simple control elements).

Each section contains several areas, “control elements”, for example, is divided into one section for each specific control element.

The individual sub-sections are divided into:

• Introduction:

  • Synonyms: Other names for the described UI element, which can also be used to locate the element in the index,
  • Reference to similar elements or related topics,
  • Description of the element or topic,

• Presentation (requirements concerning the visual presentation)

• Operation (operating requirements, especially with keyboard and pointing devices)

• Programming/interfaces (requests for information which are communicated to the Accessibility API.

The requirements are presented in table form:

Note: The validity of the requirements is specified as follows:

• Web applications: “Web:”
• Desktop applications: “Desktop:”
• Hybrid applications: “Desktop:”
• Valid for all applications: Not applicable

The requirements are classified as follows:

The specific requirements concerning the use of the keyboard, i.e. which keys are to be used for which purpose, are classified as follows:

Note: The requirements regarding the use of the keyboard cannot be classified as “must” or “should”, as EN 301 549 only requires the possibility for the use of the keyboard, but does not define specific keys, as these depend on the respective platform, for example. The elementary guide also contains notes, recommendations and practical tips. These are not standardized. In the notes, recommendations and practical tips, however, “must”, “may not”, “should” and “should not” are used insofar as reference is made to a requirement.

The sections on general topics (“application-related requirements” and “element-spanning requirements”) address the dialog-related requirements of EN 301 549 (in particular, section 9 on Web and 11 on Software). The requirements are explained here in general (i.e. not in relation to specific UI elements) and in as much detail as possible (i.e. with possible special cases, exceptions, etc.).

In the sections on individual UI elements (text, graphic, structure, control elements), only the relevant requirements regarding the respective UI element are listed. This article describes what a general requirement means as regards a specific element. However, the requirements are not necessarily explained in detail; i.e. for special cases and exceptions, reference is made to the respective general section.

For example:

• In the section on the UI element Checkbox the requirement for the visual resizing of the check box is not addressed, because no check box-specific problems or requirements in relation to zooming exist. However, the requirements concerning the resizing can be found in the “resizing” section and also apply to check boxes.
• In the section on the UI element check box, the specific contrast requirements are described so as to further explain the extent to which the general contrast requirements from the “colors and contrasts” section apply to the check box. However, the special case of the disabled check box is not discussed here, because exceptions for disabled elements are described in the “colors and contrasts” section.

The following elements are not described in this document due to their limited degree of relevance to software:

• Rich text editor,
• Video,
• Audio,
• Image map,
• Maps.

However, there is the intention to include these requirements and elements in a future version of the document.

Some programming languages or frameworks do not allow all the requirements to be met due to limitations to the respective technology. In this case, it should be checked as to whether another programming language or another framework can be used. Alternatively, the requirements should be met as sufficiently as possible. All deviations should be documented in the help and in the accessibility declaration.

This document does not address technology-specific features, but focuses on the expected behavior of the UI elements.

Information about this article

Date:

6.12.2024

License:

CC-BY-SA 4.0

Version:

1.0

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