Media Queries for Accessible First Design

Grant Neufeld <[email protected]> Tue, 26 May 2020 17:54:41 -0600
Newsgroups gmane.comp.web.css.general
Message-ID <CAANMVvu5GXgvpLNat5A7gYa=vUo6crn0yCGd9XawoZAewN91mQ@mail.gmail.com>
I believe this is applicable to the Media Queries Level 5 Working
Draft [FPWD], of 18 March 2020:
https://www.w3.org/TR/mediaqueries-5/

I=E2=80=99m concerned that the direction for CSS accessibility features may
end up failing to support accessible-first design (AFD).

AFD can be thought of as an approach similar to how =E2=80=9Cmobile-first
design=E2=80=9D/=E2=80=9Cresponsive design=E2=80=9D uses progressive enhanc=
ement based on
feature availability and device/system constraints. In an AFD
approach, we would make our default site design maximally accessible
(high contrast, reduced motion, etc.), and then check media queries to
see if we can add the more stylized, less broadly accessible, features
(lower contrast, more motion, etc.).

To support AFD, we need to be able to check for the state where the
host OS supports a given accessibility mode (e.g., high contrast), but
has it turned off.

For accessible-first design, if the user preference is unknown (OS or
browser doesn=E2=80=99t support it), or known and on, we=E2=80=99ll stick w=
ith the
accessible styles. Only in the case where the user preference is known
and off (OS supports it, and it is off) do we use =E2=80=9Cprogressive
enhancement=E2=80=9D to apply the less accessible styles (e.g., lower
contrast, more motion,=E2=80=A6).

The current proposals for media queries are missing the =E2=80=9Cknown and
off=E2=80=9D state. For example, =E2=80=9Cprefers-reduced-motion=E2=80=9D, =
only has
=E2=80=9Cno-preference=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9Creduce=E2=80=9D as possible va=
lues. That covers:
* Reduce setting is unknown/unsupported.
* Reduce setting is on.
but not:
* Reduce setting is available and off.

So, I would like to see all accessibility setting/preference/etc.
media queries be amended or extended to include a value for =E2=80=9Csettin=
g
is known/available and off=E2=80=9D.

Thank-you!