3.6 Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension
Contents
WAI Checkpoint 14.2
Full WAI text: "Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension of the page."
Provide explanatory images or audio content where this helps users to understand the meaning of the main body of text content on a web page.
Rationale
Some concepts can be explained with words only but others are easier to explain with combinations of words, images and sounds. For example, a piece of music could best be explained with descriptive text (words), musical notation (images) and an audio example (sounds).
Users with cognitive or reading difficulties, non-native users or users who communicate primarily in sign language may struggle with information presented entirely through text.
A wide variety of techniques can be used to provide supporting information, including animations, icons, graphs, video, recorded speech, synthesised speech, sound effects or sound alerts. Note: It is important to provide equivalents for any supporting information you provide to ensure that it is available to the widest possible audience. For example, the information communicated through a graph should also be available in text format as well.
Directions and Techniques
There are no specific techniques recommended for this guideline.
How you could check for this:
There are no specific test methods recommended for this guideline.
Guidelines for Web Accessibility - Priority 3- 3.1 Ensure that text and background have sufficient contrast for people with colour deficient vision
- 3.2 Provide text links to emulate client-side image maps
- 3.3 Expand the first occurrence of any abbreviation or acronym
- 3.4 Identify the primary language of the document text
- 3.5 Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.
- 3.6 Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension
- 3.7 Provide summaries for tables
- 3.8 Provide abbreviations for table header labels
- 3.9 Identify groups of related links and provide a way to bypass them
- 3.10 Provide a linear alternative for parallel, word-wrapped columns of text
- 3.11 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects
- 3.12 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links, form controls, and groups of form controls
- 3.13 Separate adjacent links with non-link, printable characters surrounded by spaces
- 3.14 Provide navigation bars
- 3.15 If search functions are provided, enable different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences
- 3.16 Provide information about documents comprising multiple pages
- 3.17 Provide a means to skip over multi-line ASCII art
- 3.18 Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages
- 3.19 Include default text in form text boxes
- 3.20 Provide information to enable users to receive documents according to their preferences
