ATAG - Guidelines on the accessibility of authoring tools

What is ATAG 2.0?

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 2.0(ATAG) is a technical standard developed by the W3C organisation to facilitate the work of authoring tool developers.

ATAG has two parts

• A: Create authoring tool interfaces so that they are accessible
• B: Support the creation of accessible content.

The guidelines included in Part A are about ensuring that people with disabilities can easily use an authoring tool.

The Part A guidelines are:

• Principle A.1: The user interfaces of the authoring tool must comply with the applicable guidelines for accessibility
• Principle A.2: Editorial views must be perceptible
• Principle A.3: Editorial views must be functional
• Principle A.4: Editorial views must be comprehensible

Part B aims to make sure that content and applications created with the authoring tool comply with accessibility standards. The guidelines are:

• Principle B.1: Automated processes must produce accessible content
• Principle B.2: Authors must be supported in creating accessible content
• Principle B.3: Authors must be supported in improving the accessibility of existing content
• Principle B.4: Authoring tools must promote and integrate accessibility features

What are authoring tools (authoring systems)?

Authoring tools are web-based applications or platforms for creating and editing web content, including text, multimedia and interactive elements.

Examples of authoring tools covered by ATAG

• cMS systems - all kinds of content management systems
• website generators/creators
• systems that save content in the form of web pages
• systems with a web interface, i.e. any application that you log on to and use in a web browser (whether on a laptop, computer or smartphone)
• multimedia creation tools
• content creation websites - e.g. blogs, wikis, photo albums, web forums, web portals
• other authoring tools

ATAG

ATAG's primary objective is to ensure that authoring tools support the creation of accessible web content by individuals and organisations. Accessibility in this context means making web content usable and understandable for people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, hearing, cognitive and motor impairments.

Key principles and elements of ATAG include

Promoting the availability of authoring tools

The guidance encourages creators of authoring tools to prioritise accessibility throughout the design and development process. It emphasises the importance of ensuring ease of accessibility and understanding of accessibility features for content creators.

Guidelines on the availability of authoring tools

ATAG provides a comprehensive set of guidelines and success criteria to guide authoring tools. These guidelines cover various aspects of accessibility, such as providing accessible interfaces, supporting the creation of accessible content and generating accessible results.

ATAG compliance levels

ATAG divides compliance into three levels: level A, level AA and level AAA, with level AAA representing the highest level of compliance in terms of accessibility. Developers can choose the level of compliance that corresponds to the target audience and use cases of the tool.

Integration with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

ATAG closely follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(WCAG), which define how web content should be made accessible. ATAG provides guidance on how authoring tools can help content creators comply with WCAG.

Promoting accessibility for User Agents

ATAG encourages authoring tools to ensure compatibility with accessible User Agents (e.g. web browsers with built-in assistive technologies). This will ensure that content created with an authoring tool remains accessible to users with disabilities.

Testing and evaluation

Authoring tools should include functions to support testing and evaluation of content for accessibility. This includes functions for checking and correcting accessibility issues in the content created.

Documentation and training

ATAG emphasises the importance of providing documentation and training materials to help authors understand and implement accessibility best practice.

Compatibility with assistive technologies

Authoring tools should be designed to work seamlessly with assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice recognition software and alternative input devices.

Benefits of ATAG

By following ATAG, developers can create authoring tools that enable content creators to create web content that is inclusive and accessible to a wide audience. This is a key step towards improving web accessibility and ensuring that people with disabilities can fully participate in the digital world.