Cognitive Web Accessibility Assessments: Orientation and Error Prevention/Recovery Results

These are aggregate results related to the Orientation and Error Prevention/Recovery section of the cognitive Web accessibility assessments.

Section: Orientation and Error Prevention/Recovery

• 20 Web sites have been assessed to date.
• 50% met the criteria (below) for this section.

Guideline 1

• Give users control over time sensitive content changes.
  Avoid automatic refreshes or redirects. Allow users to control content updates or changes. Avoid unnecessary time-outs or expirations. Allow users to request more time.
• Of the 20 Web sites to which this guideline applied, 95% met it.

Guideline 2

• Provide adequate instructions and cues for forms.
  Ensure required elements and formatting requirements are identified. Provide associated and descriptive form labels and fieldsets/legends.
• Of the 15 Web sites to which this guideline applied, 33% met it.

Guideline 3

• Give users clear and accessible form error messages and provide mechanisms for resolving form errors and resubmitting the form.
• Of the 15 Web sites to which this guideline applied, 47% met it.

Guideline 4

• Give feedback on a user's actions.
  Confirm correct choices and alert users to errors or possible errors.
• Of the 14 Web sites to which this guideline applied, 21% met it.

Guideline 5

• Provide instructions for unfamiliar or complex interfaces.
• Of the 3 Web sites to which this guideline applied, 67% met it.

Guideline 6

• Use breadcrumbs, indicators, or cues to indicate location or progress.
  Allow users to quickly determine where they are at in the structure of a web site (e.g., a currently active "tab" or Home > Products > Widget, for example) or within a sequence (Step 2 of 4). Next/Previous options should be provided for sequential tasks.
• Of the 20 Web sites to which this guideline applied, 55% met it.

Guideline 7

• Allow critical functions to be confirmed and/or canceled/reversed.
• This guideline did not apply to any Web sites.

Guideline 8

• Provide adequately-sized clickable targets and ensure functional elements appear clickable.
  Use labels for form elements, particularly small checkboxes and radio buttons, and ensure all clickable elements appear clickable and do not require exactness.
• Of the 18 Web sites to which this guideline applied, 67% met it.

Guideline 9

• Use underline for links only.
• Of the 20 Web sites to which this guideline applied, 90% met it.

Guideline 10

• Provide multiple methods for finding content.
  A logical navigation, search functionality, index, site map, table of contents, links within body text, supplementary or related links section, etc. all provide multiple ways for users to find content.
• Of the 20 Web sites to which this guideline applied, 95% met it.