Text only equivalent page may be needed |
Section 508 1194.22(k); WAI / WCAG 1.0 checkpoint 6.2
Issue Description The page contains programmatic objects that can make it inaccessible. If the page cannot be made accessible, there should be a text-only version of the page updated whenever the original page changes.
How to check Determine whether the page satisfies all the 508 accessibility conditions. If some conditions are not satisfied, and the page cannot be changed to satisfy them, then you need an equivalent text-only version of this page. Make sure such a page exists and that it is updated whenever a change is made to the original page.
Issue Explanation If a page cannot be made accessible, then an accessible, equivalent version of the page is needed. A text-only version of it would suffice. Text-only alternatives to inaccessible pages allow people with disabilities to have full access to all the information. The information or functionality on the alternative page must be equivalent to the information or functionality on the original page.

It is also important to update alternative pages when you update the original pages.

You should only resort to creating alternative pages when other solutions fail because these pages are generally updated less often than original pages. An out-of-date page may be as frustrating as an inaccessible one because the information presented on the original page is unavailable in both cases. Automatically generating alternative pages may lead to more frequent updates, but content developers must still be careful to ensure generated pages always make sense, and that users are able to navigate a site by following links on original pages, alternative pages, or both. Before resorting to an alternative page, reconsider the design of the original page. Making the original page accessible is likely to improve it for all users.