Standard

 Description

Comments

Guideline 1.1 Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.  

1.1.1

Non-text Content: All non-text content that is presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose, except for the situations listed below (Level A).

• Controls, Input: If non-text content is a control or accepts user input, then it has a name that describes its purpose. (Refer to Guideline 4.1 for additional requirements for controls and content that accepts user input.)
• Time-Based Media: If non-text content is time-based media, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content. (Refer to Guideline 1.2 for the additional requirements for media.)
• Test: If non-text content is a test or exercise that would be invalid if presented in text, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content.
• Sensory: If non-text content is primarily intended to create a specific sensory experience, then text alternatives at least provide descriptive identification of the non-text content.
• CAPTCHA: If the purpose of non-text content is to confirm that content is being accessed by a person rather than a computer, then text alternatives that identify and describe the purpose of the non-text content are provided, and alternative forms of CAPTCHA using output modes for different types of sensory perception are provided to accommodate different disabilities.
• Decorative, Formatting, Invisible: If non-text content is pure decoration, is used only for visual formatting, or is not presented to users, then it is implemented in a way that it can be ignored by assistive technology.

Users control their own content when creating lessons. SoftChalk Create provides authors the ability to include the following in their content:

• ALT tags for images; text descriptions for non-text content such as video and audio (which are associated with the media element in the lesson). The user is required to include an ALT tag for images they include in their lesson.
• When an interactive activity is included in a lesson, SoftChalk Create automatically provides a text-based description of the activity and provides a way for the content author to provide additional descriptive information or information about an alternative activity.
  
  In addition, SoftChalk Create includes these accessibility features in the web lesson pages it produces:
• Images that do not convey content are given a null alt text.
• Form buttons (for interactive quiz questions and activities) have descriptive values and form inputs have text labels.
• CAPTCHAs are not used
  

Guideline 1.2 Time-based Media: Provide alternatives for time-based media.  

1.2.1

Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded): For prerecorded audio-only and prerecorded video-only media, the following are true, except when the audio or video is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such (Level A):

• Prerecorded Audio-only: An alternative for time-based media is provided that presents equivalent information for prerecorded audio-only content.
• Prerecorded Video-only: Either an alternative for time-based media or an audio track is provided that presents equivalent information for prerecorded video-only content.

The content author controls their own content. SoftChalk Create provides a way for the author to include an alternative text description for each audio or video media element in the lesson, and if provided, the text alternative is clearly labeled as such.

1.2.2

Captions (Prerecorded): Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. (Level A)

The content author controls their own media content.

1.2.3

Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded): An alternative for time-based media or audio description of the prerecorded video content is provided for synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. (Level A)

The content author controls their own media content.

1.2.4

Captions (Live): Captions are provided for all live audio content in synchronized media. (Level AA)

The content author controls their own media content.

1.2.5

Audio Description (Prerecorded): Audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media. (Level AA)

The content author controls their own media content.

1.2.6

Sign Language (Prerecorded): Sign language interpretation is provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media. (Level AAA)

The content author controls their own media content.

1.2.7

Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded): Where pauses in foreground audio are insufficient to allow audio descriptions to convey the sense of the video, extended audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media. (Level AAA)

The content author controls their own media content.

1.2.8

Media Alternative (Prerecorded): An alternative for time-based media is provided for all prerecorded synchronized media and for all prerecorded video-only media. (Level AAA)

The content author controls their own media content.

1.2.9

Audio-only (Live): An alternative for time-based media that presents equivalent information for live audio-only content is provided. (Level AAA)

The content author controls their own media content.

Guideline 1.3 Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.  

1.3.1

Info and Relationships: Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text. (Level A)

Semantic markup (headings, lists, etc.) is used appropriately to designate headings and emphasized text.
Headings and ARIA landmarks are used to help convey presentation.

The table feature in SoftChalk allows the content author to include headers within a table.

1.3.2

Meaningful Sequence: When the sequence in which content is presented affects its meaning, a correct reading sequence can be programmatically determined. (Level A)

Pages are linear and can be read clearly without style sheets

1.3.3

Sensory Characteristics: Instructions provided for understanding and operating content do not rely solely on sensory characteristics of components such as shape, size, visual location, orientation, or sound. (Level A)

Instructions do not rely on shape, size or visual location and instructions do not rely solely upon sound.

Guideline 1.4 Distinguishable: Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.  

1.4.1

Use of Color: Color is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. (Level A)

Color is not used as the sole method of conveying content or distinguishing visual elements.

1.4.2

Audio Control: If any audio on a Web page plays automatically for more than 3 seconds, either a mechanism is available to pause or stop the audio, or a mechanism is available to control audio volume independently from the overall system volume level. (Level A)

Audio is not configured to play automatically on a page.

1.4.3

Contrast (Minimum): The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, except for the following: (Level AA)

• Large Text: Large-scale text and images of large-scale text have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1;
• Incidental: Text or images of text that are part of an inactive user interface component, that are pure decoration, that are not visible to anyone, or that are part of a picture that contains significant other visual content, have no contrast requirement.
• Logotypes: Text that is part of a logo or brand name has no minimum contrast requirement.

Content authors can apply custom style formatting to their content. Institutions and individual authors can choose their own foreground and background colors.

Users control their own content.

1.4.4

Resize text: Except for captions and images of text, text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality. (Level AA)

Text and images can be resized with the browser zoom feature. The page is readable and functional when the text size is doubled.

1.4.5

Images of Text: If the technologies being used can achieve the visual presentation, text is used to convey information rather than images of text except for the following: (Level AA)

• Customizable: The image of text can be visually customized to the user's requirements;
• Essential: A particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed.

Images of text are not used.

Users control their own content.

1.4.6

Contrast (Enhanced): The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 7:1, except for the following: (Level AAA)

• Large Text: Large-scale text and images of large-scale text have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1;
• Incidental: Text or images of text that are part of an inactive user interface component, that are pure decoration, that are not visible to anyone, or that are part of a picture that contains significant other visual content, have no contrast requirement.
• Logotypes: Text that is part of a logo or brand name has no minimum contrast requirement.

Content authors can apply custom style formatting to their content. Institutions and individual authors can choose their own foreground and background colors.

Users control their own content.

1.4.7

Low or No Background Audio: For prerecorded audio-only content that (1) contains primarily speech in the foreground, (2) is not an audio CAPTCHA or audio logo, and (3) is not vocalization intended to be primarily musical expression such as singing or rapping, at least one of the following is true: (Level AAA)

• No Background: The audio does not contain background sounds.
• Turn Off: The background sounds can be turned off.
• 20 dB: The background sounds are at least 20 decibels lower than the foreground speech content, with the exception of occasional sounds that last for only one or two seconds.

SoftChalk does not allow background audio in the lesson pages.

1.4.8

Visual Presentation: For the visual presentation of blocks of text, a mechanism is available to achieve the following: (Level AAA)

• Foreground and background colors can be selected by the user.
• Width is no more than 80 characters or glyphs (40 if CJK).
• Text is not justified (aligned to both the left and the right margins).
• Line spacing (leading) is at least space-and-a-half within paragraphs, and paragraph spacing is at least 1.5 times larger than the line spacing.
• Text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent in a way that does not require the user to scroll horizontally to read a line of text on a full-screen window.

Content authors can apply custom style sheets to their content. Institutions and individual authors can choose their own foreground and background colors.

Text resizes with the browser zoom features.

Users control their own content.

1.4.9

Images of Text (No Exception): Images of text are only used for pure decoration or where a particular presentation of text is essential to the information being conveyed. (Level AAA)

Images of text are not used.

Users control their own content.

Standard

 Description

Comments

Guideline 2.1 Keyboard Accessible: Make all functionality available from a keyboard.  

2.1.1

Keyboard: All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes, except where the underlying function requires input that depends on the path of the user's movement and not just the endpoints. (Level A)

Users control their own content.

All aspects of the web content pages are accessible via the keyboard tab and arrow keys.

When creating a lesson, the content author may optionally include an interactive activity. Of the 21 interactive activities that can be used in SoftChalk content, 14 of them are keyboard accessible and 7 are not. By keyboard accessible we mean that the student can complete the activity using only the keyboard to access the activity. The 7 exceptions include: HotSpot, Timeline, Identify, Pairs, Align, Sequence and Selection activities.

As an alternative to using the activities types that are not accessible, the content author may choose to use any of the 14 activity types that are accessible via the keyboard, or they can use the interactive quiz questions that are accessible via the keyboard.

2.1.2

No Keyboard Trap: If keyboard focus can be moved to a component of the page using a keyboard interface, then focus can be moved away from that component using only a keyboard interface, and, if it requires more than unmodified arrow or tab keys or other standard exit methods, the user is advised of the method for moving focus away. (Level A)

Keyboard focus is not locked or trapped at any one particular page element. The user can navigate to and from all navigable page elements using only a keyboard.

2.1.3

Keyboard (No Exception): All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes. (Level AAA)

Yes