Journey to WAS update, Monday, March 17 2025
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My Journey to WAS update - Monday 17th of March
I'm currently studying the Understandable principle of WCAG, specifically guideline 3.2 Predictable.
The previous guideline, 3.1 Readable quite interesting because I found that a lot of online content doesn't meet this guideline. Its purpose is to ensure content is easy for everyone to read, particularly people with dyslexia or ADHD. Some people also find reading difficult unless the text is read aloud to them.
Sometimes, when writers try to sound smart or technical, they end up using complicated grammar. This fails Success Criterion 3.1.5 Reading Level, making content harder to understand. It's always better to use simple language so everyone can clearly understand your message.
I personally find content with a lot of ambiguous words quite difficult to understand, even with context. I sometimes have to re-read the content or paste the text into Google or ChatGPT to get a better explanation. Unfortunately, this sometimes sends me down a rabbit hole of related content, and by the time I return to the original content, I might have to start over again .
I also discovered while studying the Reading Level success criterion that about 54% of American adults read below a sixth-grade level.
When I searched for similar data for Nigeria, I only found the literacy rate, which is different. But did you know that the adult literacy rate in Nigeria is 63.16%?
The study is quite interesting because it grouped adults as people 15 years and above, but the voting age in Nigeria is 18 and above. So shouldn't the rate be for people 18 and above instead?
On another note
I'm still working on my deep-dive article about the Operable principle. It's taking longer because, as I write, I realize I've been mixing up some Success Criteria. This means I need to revisit them and clarify my understanding. Writing helps me identify areas where I'm still confused. If I struggle to clearly explain a guideline or its intent, then I know I need more revision.
Right now, I'm on the Navigable guideline, which has 13 Success Criteria—including three new ones added in WCAG 2.2. I can't wait to finish writing and share what I've learned!
After studying all the WCAG principles, I'll move on to studying common failures and techniques for WCAG 2.2.
I really love that I'm learning something every day, and I'm excited for the future.
Thanks for reading, have a nice day!