Tag: Enough time

Timeouts (2.2.6 – Level AAA)

Posted on March 08, 2021| By | In Advanced (Level AAA)

Warn users about timeouts that cause data loss.

Introduction

Time limits can cause problems for some users with cognitive impairments, who may take longer to complete tasks on a website. It’s therefore important to allow users to complete a process in more than one sitting and alert users to the length of any timeout period.

How to Pass ‘Timeouts’

  • Where possible, allow users 20 hours before a timeout removes their data
  • Warn users of the duration of any timeout period at the beginning of the task

‘Timeouts’ Tips

There are two main types of timeout, for inactivity or a hard time limit. Inactivity is easier for users to deal with as they may be making progress (albeit at a slower pace) and so will be less likely to trigger the timeout.

Hard time limits can be justified if they protect user data or are essential for a business (for example an auction site or hotel room booking form).

Watch out for privacy regulations when you store data, many countries require explicit positive consent for you to do so.

This guideline overlaps with Timing Adjustable, which also deals with time-limits and the controls around them.

See Also

Re-authenticating (2.2.5 – Level AAA)

Posted on March 03, 2014| By | In Advanced (Level AAA)

Save user data when re-authenticating.

Introduction

It may be essential for users to re-authenticate their identity for certain functions. For example, you might set a login to expire after a certain amount of time in case a user leaves their computer unattended.

Some users need longer than others to complete tasks on a website. You can help these users by saving the information they enter and when they re-authenticate (such as logging back in), displaying the same data.

How to Pass ‘Re-authenticating’

When you ask a user to re-authenticate their identity, ensure the user can continue exactly as before with saved data (for example, their shopping basket contents, input into forms or accessibility options).

‘Re-authenticating’ Tips

Ensure surveys and questionnaires can be saved part-completed and finished later.

If you ask your users to re-authenticate after a certain amount of time, consider whether your use of a time limit is justified under Timing Adjustable and No Timing. If the limit is for security reasons, such as protecting user data, this will pass both guidelines.

See Also

Interruptions (2.2.4 – Level AAA)

Posted on February 28, 2014| By | In Advanced (Level AAA)

‘Interuptions’ requires that users can postpone or suppress non-emergency interruptions.

Introduction

Users with cognitive impairments may have difficulty maintaining their focus and attention. Interrupting their experience can impact their understanding of your content. Those with visual impairments who use a screen reader may struggle if content changes while they are consuming it.

Ideally, avoid these issues by eliminating all non-emergency interruptions.

How to Pass ‘Interruptions’

  • Don’t interrupt users, other than for emergencies
  • If you really want to interrupt users:
    • provide an option for turning off all but emergency interruptions (for example, by a ‘preferences’ or ‘accessibility’ page where choices persist for the user’s session);
    • allow users to postpone all updates and interruptions; or
    • allow users to request updates rather than receive them automatically.
  • Don’t use an automatic redirect or refresh function based on a time delay (for example, if a webpage has moved, do not redirect users to the new page after a certain amount of time).

Exceptions

Emergencies include civil emergency alert messages and messages that warn of danger to health, safety, or property – including data loss or loss of connection.

‘Interruptions’ Tips

The best thing you can do is eliminate all interruptions. 

If you must use a pop-up, make sure keyboard focus is on the window-closing ‘X’ icon in the corner that closes the pop-up. When a user closes a pop-up, return keyboard focus to the place on the page they were at before the pop-up appeared.

There is an overlap with 2.2.1 – Timing Adjustable, which allows for a warning to interrupt a user to tell them that a time limit is approaching as that would count as a loss of connection.

See Also

No Timing (2.2.3 – Level AAA)

Posted on February 26, 2014| By | In Advanced (Level AAA)

‘No timing’ requires no time limits on your website.

Introduction to ‘No Timing’

Users with visual, motor or cognitive impairments may need more time than others to understand and use your website. Any time controls or limits can make using your website difficult for these users.

How to Pass ‘No Timing’

Ensure there’s no time-limited content on your website.

Exceptions

The time limit is due to real-time events, like bidding in an auction or a livestream.

See Also

Pause, Stop, Hide (2.2.2 – Level A)

Posted on December 10, 2012| By | In Beginner (Level A)

Provide user controls to pause, stop and hide moving and auto-updating content.

Introduction

Moving or auto-updating content on a website can cause difficulties for users with visual or cognitive impairments. These users may not be able to perceive the information before it changes or may be distracted by the movement.

Alongside avoiding moving content, you can help users by providing them with simple controls.

How to Pass ‘Pause, Stop, Hide’

  • Ensure moving, blinking or scrolling content has a control to pause, stop or hide it.
  • Ensure auto-updating content has a control to pause, stop, hide or control the frequency of updates.

Exceptions

  • The moving, blinking, scrolling or auto-updating content starts only by user request.
  • The moving, blinking, scrolling or auto-updating content is not presented in parallel with other content (for example, a full-page advert displayed before users reach your webpage).
  • The moving, blinking or scrolling content lasts less than five seconds.
  • The movement is essential (for example, an animation that shows users that something is loading, if it would otherwise look like your website was frozen).

‘Pause, Stop, Hide’ Tips

When a user pauses and unpauses content, let them continue where they left off if the content is pre-set but take them to the current display if the content is real-time.

A rough guide is that “blinking” content pulses less than three times per second.  Anything that pulses faster is “flashing” content and has its own rules (see Three Flashes or Below and Three Flashes). The distinction falls on the line between what may cause a seizure in a user (flashing) and what is more of a distraction than a hazard (blinking).

My advice is to remove anything that blinks or flashes and never auto-play content – that way you pass without having to build all the controls or time it to five seconds.

See Also

Timing Adjustable (2.2.1 – Level A)

Posted on November 12, 2012| By | In Beginner (Level A)

‘Timing Adjustable’ requires that you provide user controls to turn off, adjust or extend time limits.

Introduction

Users with visual, motor or cognitive impairments may need more time than others to understand and use your website. Any time controls or limits can make using your website difficult for these users.

How to Pass ‘Timing Adjustable’

If content on your website uses a time limit:

  • Give users an option to turn off the time limit before it begins (for example, a landing page before the time-limited page can display a message that shows users what to do); or
  • Give users the option to adjust the time limit before it begins, over a range of at least ten times the default setting (you can do this with a landing page too); or
  • Give users the option to extend the period at least twenty seconds before it expires. This must be a simple action like clicking a button and must be available to use at least ten times.

If your website has moving or animated text, users must be able to pause the movement.

If your website has a feature that is automatically updated (for example, with the latest football scores), you must allow users to delay the frequency of the updates by at least ten times the default setting.

Exceptions

  • The time limit is due to real-time events, like bidding in an auction or a livestream

  • The time limit is essential for your business. For example, a ticket sales website that saves a reservation for ten minutes because demand is high and giving users unlimited time would undermine the business process
  • The time limit is more than 20 hours.

‘Timing Adjustable’ Tips

Take as much content outside of time limits as possible but consider your users’ security. For example, logging out of an account after a period of inactivity is a positive use of a time limit.

Make sure any user controls you provide are keyboard accessible.

The exceptions of the time limit being essential or over 20 hours are both removed at Level AAA in No Timing. 

If you use a pop-up to give your users the option to extend a time limit, consider Interruptions.

See Also