Ensuring Accessibility in Content Creation Tools
The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 2.0 provide detailed accessibility standards for creating web content authoring tools. These guidelines present ways to make tools that are both more accessible to authors with disabilities and that are designed to encourage and promote the creation of more accessible web content by authors using those tools.
Authoring tools can enable, encourage, and assist users in the creation of accessible web content through proper standards, designs, prompts, alerts, QA and repair functions, help files, and other automated and self-assist capabilities. It is just as important that all people be able to author content (ATAG) as it is for all people to have access to content (WCAG).
The tools used to create this information must, therefore, be accessible. The adoption of these guidelines will contribute to the proliferation of web content that can be read by a broader range of readers and authoring tools that can be used by a broader range of authors.
ATAG guidelines apply to various types of authoring tools that create, convert, or manage web content. These tools must be accessible themselves and help users create accessible content:
Tools designed to produce web content, such as WYSIWYG HTML and XML editors that enable users to create accessible web pages directly.
Tools that save content in web formats, such as word processors or desktop publishing applications that export to HTML or other web formats.
Tools that convert documents into web formats, such as DOCX to HTML converters that transform office documents into accessible web content.
Tools that produce multimedia that is used on the web, such as video editors that help create accessible video content with captions and transcripts.
Tools for website management, including CMS platforms and website publishing tools such as WordPress, Wix, SquareSpace that help create accessible websites.
Tools for layout design and formatting, such as CSS authoring tools that help create accessible stylesheets and layouts.
Authoring tools play a crucial role in the accessibility ecosystem. They serve two primary functions:
Making authoring tools themselves accessible ensures that people with disabilities can use these tools to create content, regardless of their abilities.
Tools should encourage and assist users in creating accessible content through prompts, alerts, QA functions, and automated accessibility features.
ATAG-compliant authoring tools include features that help ensure accessible content creation:
Standards Compliance: Tools that guide users to follow WCAG and other accessibility standards
Design Prompts: Interface elements that remind users to include accessibility features like alt text
Accessibility Alerts: Warnings when users create content that may not be accessible
QA and Repair Functions: Automated checks and suggestions for fixing accessibility issues
Help Files and Documentation: Comprehensive guidance on creating accessible content
Automated Capabilities: Features that automatically add accessibility attributes when possible
Self-Assist Capabilities: Tools that help users identify and fix accessibility issues independently
ATAG and WCAG work together: While WCAG focuses on making web content accessible to end users, ATAG ensures that the tools used to create that content are accessible to authors and help them produce accessible content. It is just as important that all people be able to author content (ATAG) as it is for all people to have access to content (WCAG). Together, these guidelines create a comprehensive accessibility ecosystem.
EdgeAble.ai can help your organization ensure that your authoring tools and content management systems comply with ATAG guidelines. Our comprehensive accessibility solutions help tools encourage and assist users in creating accessible web content while ensuring the tools themselves are accessible to all authors.
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