Slideshows, Moving Content and Flashes

Table of Contents

Overview

As a general rule of thumb slideshows and moving content should be avoided as it is not fully accessible to keyboard only users and screen reader users.

Users with disabilities should be given adequate time to interact with web content and should be provided with the ability to pause, stop and hide any moving content.

Slideshows and moving content that cannot be stopped and paused by keyboard only and screen reader users must be disabled. 

Having something repeatedly moving across the screen is very distracting, especially for users with learning disabilities.

Any slideshow related content should not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one second period, or the flash is below the general flash and red flash thresholds.

General Guidelines

Some people with cognitive disabilities and attention deficits cannot concentrate with continual movement.

Let users control content changes that occur in parallel with other content.

Users should be provided with a mechanism to pause, stop or hide moving content.

Avoid distracting users during their interaction with a web page.

"Moving, blinking and scrolling" refers to content in which the visible content conveys a sense of motion. Common examples include motion pictures, synchronized media presentations, animations, real-time games, and scrolling stock tickers. "Auto-updating" refers to content that updates or disappears based on a preset time interval. Common time-based content includes audio, automatically updated weather information, news, stock price updates, and auto-advancing presentations and messages. The requirements for moving, blinking and scrolling content and for auto-updating content are the same except that:

• authors have the option of providing the user with a means to control the frequency of updates when content is auto-updating and

• there is no five second exception for auto-updating since it makes little sense to auto-update for a few seconds and then stop

Content that moves or auto-updates can be a barrier to anyone who has trouble reading stationary text quickly as well as anyone who has trouble tracking moving objects. It can also cause problems for screen readers.

Moving content can also be a severe distraction for some people. Certain groups, particularly those with attention deficit disorders, find blinking content distracting, making it difficult for them to concentrate on other parts of the Web page. Five seconds was chosen because it is long enough to get a user's attention, but not so long that a user cannot wait out the distraction if necessary to use the page.

For moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating information, all of the following should apply:

Moving, blinking, scrolling

For any moving, blinking or scrolling information that (1) starts automatically, (2) lasts more than five seconds, and (3) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it unless the movement, blinking, or scrolling is part of an activity where it is essential; and

Auto-updating

For any auto-updating information that (1) starts automatically and (2) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it or to control the frequency of the update unless the auto-updating is part of an activity where it is essential.

Please see more detailed information on how to comply with these guidelines.

Flashing Content

Avoid content that flashes, or keep it under threshold guidelines.

Flashing content can cause migraines, dizziness, nausea, and seizures.

Web pages should not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one second period, or the flash is below the general flash and red flash thresholds.

Please see more detailed information on how to comply with this guideline.

WCAG Related References

2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A)

2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A)

2.3.1 Flashing Content (Level A)