Updated Jan. 4, 2001
These guidelines reflect the final standards published by the Access Board in the Federal Register (Dec. 21, 2000), which become effective June 21, 2001. The wording of the guidelines here in some cases has been combined with language from the W3C.* Each item is hotlinked to additional information contained in a separate document. If the Access Board provides more detailed instructions of its own, these guidelines will be revised accordingly.
a. Text Equivalents. Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element.
b. Multimedia. For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory descriptions of the visual track) should be synchronized with the presentation.
c. Color. All information conveyed with color must be available without color--for example, from context or markup.
d. Style Sheets. Documents must be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated Style Sheet.
e. Server-Side Image Maps. Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map.
f. Client-Side Image Maps. Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps except where regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.
g. Tables: Row and Column Headers. For data tables, identify row and column headers.
h. Tables: Multi-logic Row or Column Headers. For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells.
i. Frames. Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation.
j. Screen Flicker. To avoid causing the screen to flicker, design pages with a frequency between 2 Hz and 55 Hz.
k. Text-Only Pages. A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, should be provided to make a Website comply with the provisions of these standards when compliance cannot be accomplished any other way.
l. Scripts. When information is placed on the screen by a script, it must also be available in a text form to assistive technology.
m. Applets and Plug-Ins. When a Web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on a client's system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to that applet or plug-in.
n. Forms. Electronic forms designed to be completed online should allow people using assistive technology to fill out and submit the form and access all directions and cues.
o. Repetitive Navigation Links. Provide assistive technology users the option to skip repetitive navigation links with an appropriate method.
p. Timed Response. When a timed response is required, the user should be alerted when the time is almost up and allowed to ask for more time if necessary.
* Paragraphs (a) through (k) are generally consistent with the Priority 1 Checkpoints set forth in the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, which is available on the W3C Website at www.w3.org/TR//WAI-WEBCONTENT/. The document accompanying this one includes additional information taken from the W3C Guidelines that further explains the requirements.
Paragraphs (l) through (p) are somewhat different from W3C guidelines and prescribe a more specific requirement.
Send comments to Carol Ballentine, FDA Website Management Staff, at cballent@oc.fda.gov
Hypertext updated by clb/dms 2001-APR-25.