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Trusted Tester

A standardized approach for manual inspection of Web content for conformance with the Revised Section 508 Standards.

2. Auto-Playing and Auto-Updating Content

Auto-Playing Audio

Identify Content

Identify audio content that automatically plays (without user activation) for more than 3 seconds.

Content of this type includes alerts, sounds, and music.

If there is no such content, the result for the following test ID(s) is DOES NOT APPLY: 2.A.

Check 1.4.2-audio-control

Test Name	Test ID	Test Condition
1.4.2-audio-control	2.A	The user can pause, stop, or control the volume of audio content that plays automatically.

Applicability:

This Test Condition DOES NOT APPLY (DNA) if there is no audio content that plays automatically for more than 3 seconds.

How to Test:

Determine if there is a mechanism within the first three elements encountered for the user to pause or stop the audio or to control the volume of only the auto-playing audio.
1. The browser should already have been configured to disable auto-play. (See the Test Tool Installation and Configuration Guide for instructions.)
Activate the mechanism.
Following this test process, test the mechanism for all applicable Test Conditions.

Evaluate Results:

If ALL of the following are TRUE, then the content PASSES:

There is a mechanism that can pause or stop the audio or control the volume of only the auto-playing audio, AND
The mechanism is within the first three elements encountered by the user, AND
The mechanism passes all applicable Test Conditions in this test process.

Note:

A browser’s ability to disable auto-playing media and/or mute a specific tab are acceptable mechanisms to stop or control the volume of auto-playing audio content. However, not all browsers have the capability to disable auto-playing media or mute specific windows or tabs.

Moving, Blinking, and Scrolling Content

Identify Content:

Identify visual content that:

Automatically moves, blinks, or scrolls (without user activation), AND
Lasts for more than 5 seconds, AND
Is not the only content on the page.

Content of this type includes scrolling text, videos, and multimedia.

EXCLUDE content where the movement, blinking, or scrolling of the content is essential.

If there is no such content, the result for the following test ID(s) is DOES NOT APPLY: 2.B.

Check 2.2.2-blinking-moving-scrolling

Test Name	Test ID	Test Condition
2.2.2-blinking-moving-scrolling	2.B	The user can pause, stop, or hide moving, blinking, or scrolling content.

Applicability:

This Test Condition DOES NOT APPLY (DNA) if there is no moving, blinking, or scrolling content that plays automatically for more than 5 seconds OR if the moving, blinking, or scrolling content is the ONLY content on the web page.

How to Test:

Determine if there is an evident mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide the content within the first three elements that the user would encounter OR within three elements before/after the moving/blinking/scrolling content.
Activate the mechanism.
Following this test process, test the mechanism for all applicable Test Conditions

Evaluate Results:

If ALL of the following are TRUE, then the content PASSES:

There is a mechanism that can pause, stop, or hide the content, AND
The mechanism is either within:

the first three elements encountered by the user, OR
three elements before/after the moving/blinking/scrolling content,

AND

The mechanism PASSES all applicable Test Conditions in this test process.

Auto-Updating Information

Identify Content

Identify content that:

Automatically updates (without user activation) AND
Is not the only content on the page

Content of this type includes timers, stock tickers, and counters.

Note:

WCAG SC 2.2.2 does not apply to auto-updating of information where the auto-updating is essential. However, the auto-updating of a stock ticker that conveys real-time information would not be considered essential (per WCAG) so it would be included in this test. It is likely that most instances of auto-update would not be essential. To avoid incorrect omission(s) of content from this test, the tester is not tasked with determining whether auto-updating is essential and should include all content that meets the Identify Content description. A Section 508 exception may be applied for essential auto-updating content; however this is outside the scope the testing process. An exception for SC 2.2.2 should be considered carefully as Conformance Requirement 5: Non Interference requires its conformance.

If there is no such content, the result for the following test ID(s) is DOES NOT APPLY: 2.C and 2.D.

Check 2.2.2-auto-updating

Test Name	Test ID	Test Condition
2.2.2-auto-updating	2.C	The user can pause, stop, hide, or control the frequency of automatically updating content.

Applicability:

This Test Condition DOES NOT APPLY (DNA) if there is no auto-updating content or the auto-updating content is the only content on the page.

How to Test:

Determine if there is an evident mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide the content or to control the frequency of the update within the first three elements that the user would encounter OR within three elements before/after the auto-updating content.
Activate the mechanism.
Following this test process, test the mechanism for all applicable Test Conditions.

Evaluate Results:

If ALL of the following are TRUE, then the content PASSES:

There is a mechanism that can pause, stop, or hide the content or control the frequency of the update, AND
The mechanism is either within:

the first three elements encountered by the user, OR
three elements before/after the automatically updating content,

AND

The mechanism passes all applicable Test Conditions in this test process.

Notification of Automatic Content Changes

Identify Content

Identify content that changes automatically on the page as part of auto-update.

If there is no such content, the result for the following test ID(s) is DOES NOT APPLY: 2.D.

Check 4.1.2-change-notify-auto

Test Name	Test ID	Test Condition
4.1.2-change-notify-auto	2.D	The page provides notification of each automatic update/change in content.

Applicability:

This Test Condition DOES NOT APPLY (DNA) if the page content does not update or change automatically.

How to Test:

Identify how the user is notified of the change in content.
1. Identify any dialogs that alert the user to changes in content.
  1. Determine whether the dialogs provide sufficient programmatic notification of content changes.
2. Identify content changes that result in focus moving to the content that has changed.
  1. Determine whether moving the focus to the content that has changed is sufficient to notify the user of the change event (e.g., by describing the change directly in the content to which the focus moved).
3. Identify content changes occurring in an ARIA Live Region:
  1. Launch ANDI: structures
  2. Click the “live regions” link, then use the mouse to hover over any identified live region (alternatively, use ANDI’s previous/next element buttons to navigate to identified Live Regions).
  3. Determine whether the changing content is contained within the Live Region.

Evaluate Results:

If any of the following is TRUE, the content PASSES:

The page notifies the user about a change via a keyboard-accessible dialog, OR
The page moves focus to the content that has changed, AND the content that has changed provides sufficient description about the change, OR
The content that has changed is contained in an ARIA Live Region

Note:

This is a test for notification of automatic changes to content. The testing of the content before and after the change are to be performed in other tests. Testing of changes due to user interaction are also tested elsewhere. For example, form elements that change in response to user selections are to be tested per Test ID 5.B.

Applicable Standards

Section 508/WCAG Success Criteria	Baseline Requirements
WCAG SC 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide: For moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating information, all of the following are true:<ul><li>Moving, blinking, scrolling: For any moving, blinking or scrolling information that (1) starts automatically, (2) lasts more than five seconds, and (3) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it unless the movement, blinking, or scrolling is part of an activity where it is essential.</li><li>Auto-updating: For any auto-updating information that (1) starts automatically and (2) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it or to control the frequency of the update unless the auto-updating is part of an activity where it is essential.</li><li>Note 2: Since any content that does not meet this success criterion can interfere with a user’s ability to use the whole page [or software application], all content [in the software or] on the Web page (whether it is used to meet other success criteria or not) must meet this success criterion. See Conformance Requirement 5: Non-Interference.</li></ul> WCAG SC 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.<ul><li>Note: Since any content that does not meet this success criterion can interfere with a user’s ability to use the whole page, all content on the Web page (whether it is used to meet other success criteria or not) must meet this success criterion. See Conformance Requirement 5: Non-Interference. Until such time that this test process includes a test for flashing content, no definitive statement can be made regarding Conformance Requirement 5 if any flashing content is present.</li></ul>	21. Timed Events
WCAG SC 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value: For all user interface components (including but not limited to: form elements, links and components generated by scripts), the name and role can be programmatically determined; states, properties, and values that can be set by the user can be programmatically set; and notification of changes to these items is available to user agents, including assistive technologies.	5. Changing Content

Section 508/WCAG Success Criteria

Baseline Requirements

WCAG SC 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide: For moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating information, all of the following are true:<ul><li>Moving, blinking, scrolling: For any moving, blinking or scrolling information that (1) starts automatically, (2) lasts more than five seconds, and (3) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it unless the movement, blinking, or scrolling is part of an activity where it is essential.</li><li>Auto-updating: For any auto-updating information that (1) starts automatically and (2) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it or to control the frequency of the update unless the auto-updating is part of an activity where it is essential.</li><li>Note 2: Since any content that does not meet this success criterion can interfere with a user’s ability to use the whole page [or software application], all content [in the software or] on the Web page (whether it is used to meet other success criteria or not) must meet this success criterion. See Conformance Requirement 5: Non-Interference.</li></ul>
WCAG SC 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.<ul><li>Note: Since any content that does not meet this success criterion can interfere with a user’s ability to use the whole page, all content on the Web page (whether it is used to meet other success criteria or not) must meet this success criterion. See Conformance Requirement 5: Non-Interference. Until such time that this test process includes a test for flashing content, no definitive statement can be made regarding Conformance Requirement 5 if any flashing content is present.</li></ul>

21. Timed Events

WCAG SC 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value: For all user interface components (including but not limited to: form elements, links and components generated by scripts), the name and role can be programmatically determined; states, properties, and values that can be set by the user can be programmatically set; and notification of changes to these items is available to user agents, including assistive technologies.

5. Changing Content

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