Page Comparison

1.1

Provide text equivalent for every non-text item (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).

Yes

Sakai provides text equivalents for images.

1.2

If using images or image maps, provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map.

N/A

Sakai does not include server-side image maps.

1.3

Until user agents can automatically read aloud the text equivalent of a visual track, provide an auditory description of the important information of the visual track of a multimedia presentation.

N/A

Sakai does not contain multimedia elements. Providers are responsible for the accessibility of their own content.

1.4

For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g. movie, animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives with the presentation.

See above. Providers are responsible for the accessibility of their own content.

2.1

Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color.

Yes

Sakai does not rely on color alone to differentiate content.

4.1

Clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document's text and any text equivalents.

N/A

See above. Providers are responsible for the accessibility of their own content.

5.1

In data tables, identify row and column headers.

Yes*

Data tables contain row and column headers in Sakai. *Exception: Schedule tool does not associate date with day of week.

5.2

In data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells.

No

Schedule Tool: 12 month calendar does not associate dates with day of week and month.

6.1

Organize documents so that they may be read without style sheets.

No

Sakai is partially readable. Framed content can only be viewed one line at a time.

6.2

Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes.

N/A

Sakai does not provide equivalents for dynamic content.

6.3

Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmatic objects are turned off or not supported.  If not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible page.

No

JavaScript must be enabled for Sakai to function. This is intrinsic to the application and at this time cannot be resolved.

7.1

Until user agents allow users to control flickering, avoided causing the screen to flicker.

N/A

Sakai does not include flickering images.

9.1

Provide client-side Image maps instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometrics shape.

N/A

Sakai does not include server-side image maps.

11.4

If, after best efforts, you cannot create an accessible page, provide a link to an alternative page that uses W3C technologies, is accessible, has equivalent information (or functionality) and is updated as often as the inaccessible webpage.

N/A

It is not necessary for Sakai to produce a text-only version, so long as JavaScript is enabled.

12.1

Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation.

Yes

Sakai provides title and name attributes for frames when they are present.

14.1

Use clear and simple language appropriate for a site's content.

Yes

Sakai uses terminology appropriate to its target audience of faculty, students and administrators in higher education.

2.2

Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen.
[Priority 2 for images, Priority 3 for text].

Yes

The Sakai default configuration is mainly black on white. Each provider is responsible for sufficient contrast for his implementation.

3.1

When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup rather than images to convey information.

Yes

Sakai uses CSS for text presentation rather than images.

3.2

Create documents that validate to published formal grammars.

Yes*

Sakai is generally XHTML 1.0 compliant.
*Exception: There remain occasional oddities like ampersands in the links.

3.3

Use style sheets to control layout and presentation.

Yes

Sakai uses CSS for layout and presentation.

3.4

Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values.

Yes

Sakai uses relative units except where needed to accommodate browser inconsistencies.

3.5

Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to specification.

Yes

Sakai uses header elements to convey document structure and content.

3.6

Mark up lists and list items properly.

Yes

Sakai uses lists and list items properly.

3.7

Mark up quotations. Do not use quotation markup for formatting effects such as indentation.

N/A

Sakai does not contain quotations. Providers are responsible for the accessibility of their own content.

6.5

Ensure that dynamic content is accessible or provide an alternative presentation or page.

Yes*

Dynamic content is accessible. *Exception: JavaScript must be enabled.

7.2

Until user agents allow users to control blinking, avoid causing content to blink (i.e., change presentation at a regular rate, such as turning on and off).

N/A

Sakai does not contain blinking content.

7.4

Until user agents provide the ability to stop the refresh, do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages.

Yes

Screen refresh is controlled by the user in Sakai.

7.5

Until user agents provide the ability to stop auto-redirect, do not use markup to redirect pages automatically. Instead, configure the server to perform redirects.

N/A

Sakai does not redirect pages.

10.1

Until user agents allow users to turn off spawned windows, do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user.

Yes

Sakai notifies the user when a popup window will appear (as in the Help function).

10.2

Create explicit associations between labels and form controls and ensure label is properly positioned.

No

Many form elements are unlabeled in Sakai.

11.1

Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task and use the latest versions when supported.

Yes

Sakai is XHTML 1.0 Transitional compliant.

11.2

Avoid deprecated features of W3C technologies.

Yes

Sakai does not include deprecated elements.

12.3

Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate.

Yes

Sakai uses <fieldset> and <legend> attributes as appropriate. Worksites, tools and content areas are separate.

13.1

Clearly identify the target of each link.

No

Many Sakai links do not make sense out of context.

13.2

Provide metadata to add semantic information to pages and sites.

No

Sakai does not provide page-specific metadata.

13.3

Provide information about the general layout of a site (e.g., a site map or table of contents).

No

Sakai does not provide a site map or table of contents.

13.4

Use navigation mechanisms in a consistent manner.

Yes

Portal: Consistent. Tools: Generally consistent.

And if you use tables (Priority 2)

5.3

Do not use tables for layout unless the table makes sense when linearized. Otherwise, if the table does not make sense, provide an alternative equivalent (which may be a linearized version).

Yes*

Sakai does not generally use tables for layout. *Exception: Tools containing forms made with JavaServerFaces (JSF) are an exception, there are also some layout tables also here and there, but negligible.

5.4

If a table is used for layout, do not use any structural markup for the purpose of visual formatting.

Yes

See above.

And if you use frames (Priority 2)

12.2

Describe the purpose of frames and how frames relate to each other if it is not obvious by frame titles alone.

Yes

Frame titles are sufficient to understand the relationship between frames.

And if you use forms (Priority 2)

10.2

Until user agents support explicit associations between labels and form controls, for all form controls with implicitly associated labels, ensure that the label is properly positioned.

No

Many form elements are missing label tags

12.4

Associate labels explicitly with their controls.

No

See above

And if you use applets and scripts (Priority 2)

6.4

For scripts and applets, ensure that event handlers are input device-independent.

No

Sakai is partially keyboard accessible. Sakai has removed "onkeypress" references because of inconsistent browser behavior. Browsers properly interpret "onclick." *Exception: The Sakai WYSIWYG text editor is not fully keyboard accessible.

7.3

Until user agents allow users to freeze moving content, avoid movement in pages.

Yes

Sakai does not have moving content.

8.1

Make programmatic elements such as scripts and applets directly accessible or compatible with assistive technologies
[Priority 1 if functionality is important and not presented elsewhere, otherwise Priority 2.]

Yes*

Sakai scripts are compatible with assistive technology. *Exception:  JavaScript must be enabled.

9.2

Ensure that any element that has its own interface can be operated in a device-independent manner.

No

Tools within Sakai are generally keyboard accessible. Note: The WYSIWYG text editor needs to be improved.

9.3

For scripts, specify logical event handlers rather than device-dependent event handlers.

See 8.1 above.

4.2

Specify the expansion of each abbreviation or acronym in a document where it first occurs.

N/A

Sakai does not contain abbreviations. Providers are responsible for the accessibility of their own content.

4.3

Identify the primary natural language of a document.

No

The natural language of Sakai produced strings is determined by the user's preference. This preference will be reflected in the "lang" and "xml:lang" attributes of the <html> node in 2.4.

9.4

Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects.

Yes

Sakai linearizes properly.

9.5

Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls.

Yes

Sakai provides keyboard shortcuts to content, tools, and worksites.

10.5

Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render adjacent links distinctly, include non-link, printable characters (surrounded by spaces) between adjacent links.

No

Sakai does not separate adjacent links with non-link, printable characters. This is at the suggestion of its blind testers.

11.3

Provide information so that users may receive documents according to their preferences (e.g., language, content type, etc.)

No

Sakai does not (as yet) transform content, however it is an objective.

13.5

Provide navigation bars to highlight and give access to the navigation mechanism.

Yes

Navigation bars are provided consistently throughout Sakai.

13.6

Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group.

Yes

Sakai identifies the worksite, tool and content sections with headers and provides a skip link to content.

13.7

If search functions are provided, enable different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences.

No

Sakai's search tool is not flexible.

13.8

Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.

Yes

Headings, lists and paragraphs all have proper mark-up.

13.9

Provide information about document collections (i.e., documents comprising multiple pages).

N/A

Sakai does not include document collections. Tools and their content are clearly marked by titles.

13.10

Provide a means to skip over multi-line ASCII art.

N/A

Sakai does not contain ASCII art.

14.3

Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension of the page.

No

Sakai does not at this point provide non-text supplements to facilitate page comprehension.

14.3

Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages.

Yes

Sakai presentation is generally consistent between and within tools.

And if you use images and image maps (Priority 3)

1.5

Until user agents render text equivalents for client-side image map links, provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side image map.

N/A

Sakai does not include client-side image maps.

And if you use tables (Priority 3)

5.5

Provide summaries for tables.

No

Many tables in Sakai are either missing tables summaries or table summaries provide no useful information

5.6

Provide abbreviations for header labels.

No

Sakai does not provide abbreviations for header tables.

10.3

Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render side-by-side text correctly, provide a linear text alternative (on the current page or some other) for all tables that lay out text in parallel, word-wrapped columns.

N/A

No longer necessary.

And if you use forms (Priority 3)

10.4

Until user agents handle empty controls correctly, include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas.

N/A

No longer necessary.