AHWD flashcards
AHWD · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- WCAG POUR principles
- The four foundational principles of WCAG: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. Every success criterion is organized under one of these principles.
- EN 301 549
- European harmonised accessibility standard for ICT products and services. It incorporates WCAG for web content and is the presumed-conformance standard under EU accessibility law.
- Section 508
- US federal law requiring agencies and contractors to make ICT accessible. The Revised 508 standards reference WCAG 2.0 Level AA for web content.
- European Accessibility Act
- EU directive covering specified products and services such as e-commerce, banking, and transport. It applies from 28 June 2025 and presumes conformance via EN 301 549.
- Conformance level AA
- The middle WCAG conformance level and the common legal target. It includes all Level A criteria plus additional requirements such as 4.5:1 text contrast.
- ADA Title II rule
- 2024 US rule requiring state and local governments to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content and mobile apps, with compliance deadlines staggered by population.
- Social model of disability
- A framework holding that disability arises from barriers in the environment and design, not from a person's impairment. It drives inclusive design practice.
- Curb-cut effect
- The principle that accommodations designed for disabled users, such as captions or keyboard access, benefit many other users including situational and temporary limitations.
- Situational limitations
- Temporary or contextual constraints like bright sunlight, a noisy room, or a broken wrist. They share design solutions with permanent disabilities.
- Inclusive design
- A design methodology that recognizes exclusion, learns from human diversity, and solves for one group in ways that extend benefits to many.
- Person-first language
- Phrasing that names the person before the disability, such as person with a disability. Some communities prefer identity-first language, so follow stated preference.
- Text contrast minimum
- WCAG SC 1.4.3 requires a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text and 3:1 for large text, defined as 18pt or 14pt bold.
- Non-text contrast
- WCAG SC 1.4.11 requires 3:1 contrast for user interface components and graphical objects needed to understand the content.
- Decorative image alt text
- Decorative images use an empty alt attribute, alt="", so assistive technology skips them. Omitting alt entirely leaves the filename exposed.
- Programmatic label
- A form control's accessible name supplied via label/for, aria-labelledby, or aria-label. Placeholder text alone does not satisfy label requirements.
- Focus visible
- WCAG SC 2.4.7 requires a visible indicator of keyboard focus. Removing the CSS outline without providing a replacement fails this criterion.
- Page language declaration
- The lang attribute on the html element identifies the page's primary language. Passages in a different language need their own lang value.
- Accessibility tree
- A structure browsers expose to assistive technology, built from DOM semantics and ARIA. Screen readers and braille displays consume this tree.
- First rule of ARIA
- Do not use ARIA if a native HTML element or attribute already conveys the needed semantics. Native elements come with built-in behavior and accessibility.
- aria-live polite
- An ARIA live region setting that announces updated content when the user is idle. It suits status messages that are not urgent.
- aria-live assertive
- An ARIA live region setting that interrupts the screen reader immediately. Reserve it for urgent errors or alerts to avoid disrupting users.
- Label in Name
- WCAG SC 2.5.3 requires that visible text labels appear within the accessible name, so voice control users can activate controls by speaking the visible label.
- Reflow at 320px
- WCAG SC 1.4.10 requires content to reflow at a 320 CSS pixel viewport without two-dimensional scrolling, except for content needing two dimensions.
- Tagged PDF
- A PDF containing structural tags such as headings, lists, and table headers. Tags provide reading order and semantics that assistive technology can interpret.
- PDF/UA
- ISO 14289, the standard for accessible PDF documents. Conformance requires correct tags, reading order, alt text, and language metadata.
- Synchronized captions
- Timed text equivalents of audio in prerecorded video, required by WCAG SC 1.2.2. Captions should identify speakers and meaningful sounds.
- Audio description
- Narration of visual information not conveyed by the main audio track, required at Level AA by WCAG SC 1.2.5 for prerecorded video.
- Document title metadata
- The title property in a document's file properties. It appears in the window title bar and is announced by assistive technology, so it must be descriptive.
- Automated testing limits
- Automated accessibility tools detect roughly a third of WCAG issues. Manual keyboard, screen reader, and visual testing are required for the remainder.
- Keyboard-only testing
- Navigating all interactive elements using Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, and Space. Confirms visible focus, logical order, and absence of keyboard traps.
- Contrast ratio formula
- (L1 + 0.05) / (L2 + 0.05), where L1 is the lighter relative luminance. Compare the result against 4.5:1 for normal text or 3:1 for large text.
- Accessibility conformance report
- A document stating scope, WCAG version and level, testing methods and tools, and known exceptions. It supports transparency about conformance status.