Microsoft Windows 10 Spring 2021 Update (Client, PC)
Accessibility Conformance Report published by Microsoft
Conformance by level
Reported by the vendor. WCAG Level AA is the benchmark referenced by ADA Title II, Section 508 and the European Accessibility Act; Level AAA is optional and often left unevaluated.
Level A — 30 criteria
- Supports
- 17
- Partially supports
- 11
- Does not support
- 0
- Not applicable
- 2
- Not evaluated
- 0
Level AA — 20 criteria
- Supports
- 8
- Partially supports
- 9
- Does not support
- 1
- Not applicable
- 2
- Not evaluated
- 0
Source: Download the original report from Microsoft (Word document). Or browse all of Microsoft's reports on Microsoft's own site.
These figures are extracted from that document. They are the vendor's own statements, not an independent assessment, and automated extraction can misread a table.
All reported criteria (50)
| Criterion | Name | Level | Conformance | Remarks from vendor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 | Non-text Content | A | Partially Supports | When a screen reader user navigates the list of connected devices on the Windows Settings -> Bluetooth & Other Devices page, the information depicted by the device type icon is not read out. In most cases the user will be able to determine which device is represented based on the accessible category name and device name. However, in cases where this information is not sufficient, users may need to physically manipulate a device (such as by disconnecting it) to verify which device is being represented. |
| 1.2.1 | Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) | A | Supports | |
| 1.2.2 | Captions (Prerecorded) | A | Not Applicable | |
| 1.2.3 | Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) | A | Not Applicable | |
| 1.2.4 | Captions (Live) | AA | Not Applicable | |
| 1.2.5 | Audio Description (Prerecorded) | AA | Not Applicable | |
| 1.3.1 | Info and Relationships | A | Partially Supports | When using Remote Assistance, the visual headings of the different screens are not programmatic headings and are not announced for screen reader users.In Character Map, the role for characters is defined as "pane" instead of "button" which may be confusing to screen reader users.In various account setup flows including for face recognition and additional login security options, Narrator may announce page headings as though they are normal text.When a screen reader user accesses the left-hand navigation pane in File Explorer, the screen reader may report an incorrect number of items in the list. Users will need to inspect the list to determine how many items are present.A screen reader user who has enabled the Details Pane under the File Explorer View menu cannot inspect the "date taken" field of a photo. As a workaround, users can enable the Details folder view where this same field is displayed and is explorable. |
| 1.3.2 | Meaningful Sequence | A | Partially Supports | When navigating the Out of Box experience with a keyboard, focus moves to the first interactive element in the view, which may force users to navigate backward to reach the non-interactive text and heading. Windows Narrator forward navigation will traverse legacy Windows app message box dialogs in a backwards direction but tabbing & shift-tabbing will still work as expected. Windows Narrator item navigation will not reach the input switcher flyout in the user configuration setup wizard but can reach it if switched to use the arrow keys when input switching button has been activated. |
| 1.3.3 | Sensory Characteristics | A | Supports | |
| 1.3.4 | Orientation | AA | Supports | |
| 1.3.5 | Identify Input Purpose | AA | Supports | |
| 1.4.1 | Use of Color | A | Supports | |
| 1.4.2 | Audio Control | A | Supports | |
| 1.4.3 | Contrast (Minimum) | AA | Partially Supports | In the Alarms and Clock app, button text against the background does not meet contrast requirements.In the Settings -> Accounts -> Access work or school -> Connect flow, the "Show more details" and "Next" button text does not meet minimum contrast standards.Hyperlinks in the User Account Control and “Open With…” dialogs do not meet the standard for text contrast. As a workarounds for these issues, users can enable High Contrast mode for better visibility. |
| 1.4.4 | Resize text | AA | Partially Supports | Certain older Windows apps and app dialogs do not respond to system settings for resizing text. For example: • Notepad, Photos and Snipping Tool apps• Some start menu options• Clipboard History window• Dictation panel (Windows key + H)• Run dialog (Windows key + R)• Settings pages to change the user’s password or switch to a local account• System taskbar and associated flyouts• User configuration setup wizardInstead, a screen magnifier should be used to enlarge the text. Another workaround is for users to change the scale of their display in Settings à System -> Display, and adjusting the options for “Change the size of text, apps, and other items.” Also, instead of using the Snipping Tool, we recommend users transition to the Snip & Sketch app, which supports text scaling.Eye Control settings text can display improperly when zoomed above 200% in languages other than U.S English, such as German. |
| 1.4.5 | Images of Text | AA | Partially Supports | The Web Note feature on PC and tablet uses a screen shot of the web page, which the user can then annotate. |
| 1.4.10 | Reflow | AA | Partially Supports | Reflow is only supported to a display resolution of 800 by 600. Windows provides different assistive technologies such as Magnifier, Text Scaling and Display scaling to support users who require larger text and UI. |
| 1.4.11 | Non-Text Contrast | AA | Partially Supports | Some buttons in various locations across Windows do not meet minimum contrast standards, including the "More" options in Clipboard History, buttons on the Account Controls dialog, toggle buttons in lock screen options, buttons in Language Settings page and the Close button in the Microsoft Account dialog.On the Graphics settings dialog box, the contrast ratio of the borderline control is less than 3:1. |
| 1.4.12 | Text Spacing | AA | Does Not Support | This is a standard optimized for Web text and is not supported holistically across Windows. Windows provides different assistive technologies such as Text Scaling and Display scaling to support users who require larger text and UI. |
| 1.4.13 | Content on Hover or Focus | AA | Partially Supports | Tooltips are not persistent and will dismiss after a predefined amount of time has elapsed and are not hoverable. |
| 2.1.1 | Keyboard | A | Partially Supports | See Table 1 |
| 2.1.2 | No Keyboard Trap | A | Partially Supports | In Character Map when Unicode is the selected character set, a keyboard user is unable to navigate backwards (Shift + Tab) from the Go to Unicode edit box. As a workaround, the user can Tab to loop around to the desired control.If the user opens the Windows File Explorer modal via a file input, makes no selection and instead cancels the modal, they will experience a keyboard trap. User will have to escape and re-enter Windows File Explorer.When the Common File Dialog (CFD) is used to select photos (e.g. from within an app like OneNote) using the Photos item at the bottom of the left pane, a user who tabs into the Photos section cannot shift-Tab out of it. Instead, users who want to access the left pane of the CFD need to press Tab to cycle around, or close the CFD and re-open it. |
| 2.1.4 | Character Key Shortcuts | A | Supports | |
| 2.2.1 | Timing Adjustable | A | Supports | |
| 2.2.2 | Pause, Stop, Hide | A | Supports | |
| 2.3.1 | Three Flashes or Below Threshold | A | Supports | |
| 2.4.1 | Bypass Blocks | A | Supports | Note: Keyboard shortcuts exist throughout the product for address bar, opening tabs, closing tabs, adding a favorite, opening favorites list, opening history, opening downloads, open new window, close window, start new in private session. |
| 2.4.2 | Page Titled | A | Supports | Note: This is true for error pages, InPrivate tab page, Edge tips, New Tab Page, Start page. |
| 2.4.3 | Focus Order | A | Partially Supports | Certain experiences in Windows have issues with inconsistent keyboard focus order and focus placement. For example, the: • Out of Box experience • People app's edit contact experience• Group Policy Managed Console’s page for Scope and Status• Windows Security/Device Performance and Health experience pages.• Settings and Ease of Access pages for Font, Language, Magnifier, and Focus Assist.• File Uploader control• File Explorer• System Tray’s speaker/volume control |
| 2.4.4 | Link Purpose (In Context) | A | Supports | |
| 2.4.5 | Multiple Ways | AA | Supports | |
| 2.4.6 | Headings and Labels | AA | Partially Supports | The Out of Box experience does not provide consistent headings for assistive technologies.On the File Explorer -> File -> Frequent places menu, screen reader users may be unable to discern when the “pin” button is in focus. Several workarounds are available to pin or unpin files or folders from Quick Access, such as from the file / folder context menu. |
| 2.4.7 | Focus Visible | AA | Partially Supports | Within Character Map, keyboard focus may appear to be in up to 3 places at once (such as on the Font combo box, the Select button, and the character selection panel). As a workaround, users can use the Tab and arrow keys to navigate and determine where focus is; observing the location of the "dotted line" focus rectangle may also be helpful.Upon invoking Ctrl+Alt+Del, initial keyboard focus is not visible on the Lock button. The user can press the arrow keys to make the focus visible.When user navigates to the “Select Data Source window” and navigates to the "Look in" list items pane, the focus is not visible (for the first navigation attempt only). |
| 2.5.1 | Pointer Gestures | A | Supports | |
| 2.5.2 | Pointer Cancellation | A | Partially Supports | In Snip and Sketch app, a few controls like 'Auto copy to download', 'Save snips', 'Multiple Windows' and 'Snip outline' toggle switches are not following 'Up/Down' event under 'Pointer Cancellation' using mouse. |
| 2.5.3 | Label in Name | A | Supports | |
| 2.5.4 | Motion Actuation | A | Supports | |
| 3.1.1 | Language of Page | A | Supports | |
| 3.1.2 | Language of Parts | AA | Supports | |
| 3.2.1 | On Focus | A | Partially Supports | Character Map -> Group by combo box -> Ideographs by Radicals, after closing "Ideographs by Radicals" pop up using Esc key, focus incorrectly lands on "Reset" button instead of "Group by" combo box |
| 3.2.2 | On Input | A | Partially Supports | Using the Win+F key to open the feedback hub also takes a screen shot without alerting users that the shortcut both opens feedback and performs a screen grab action.Keyboard users may have difficulty editing the “Date Taken” field of pictures in File Explorer since selecting a date with the Enter key will save that value. Instead, users can press the Space key to select a date. |
| 3.2.3 | Consistent Navigation | AA | Supports | |
| 3.2.4 | Consistent Identification | AA | Supports | |
| 3.3.1 | Error Identification | A | Partially Supports | On the Logon screen, when a user has entered the wrong password multiple times, Windows Narrator does not announce the error message when it appears on the screen. |
| 3.3.2 | Labels or Instructions | A | Supports | |
| 3.3.3 | Error Suggestion | AA | Supports | |
| 3.3.4 | Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) | AA | Supports | |
| 4.1.1 | Parsing | A | Supports | |
| 4.1.2 | Name, Role, Value | A | Partially Supports | The Characters pane within Character Map does not have a name provided for the view.The web platform supports many different ways that a web developer can express the name of a control. A specific case that is not supported is a button which references its name from the contents of a hidden child within that button. If a web developer chooses to use this approach, the button may not have a useful name to present to the user. Within the “Pen & Windows Ink” settings page, a screen reader user reviewing the Pen Shortcuts section will not hear a name for any secondary form items that appear in the section. Instead, users will hear the value of the item selected in the secondary form field. Users should treat any unnamed field they encounter as a refinement of the function defined in the immediately preceding (named) field. |
| 4.1.3 | Status Messages | AA | Partially Supports | There are scenarios where Windows Narrator does not announce a status change or action, so a user will need to manually check to see if anything has changed . For example:• The number of search results when adding preferred languages in Settings• Pinning or unpinning apps from the Start menu or resizing an app• Pasting items from Clipboard History • Spot fix and red eye button prompts in Photos• Success and status messages for snapping desktops • Deleting a virtual desktop and moving a task • Agenda or an event has been created.• Certain types of notification badge updates if the underlying app is not a Windows Universal app. |
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