Understanding Success Criterion 2.2.3: No Timing

Success Criterion 2.2.3 No Timing (Level AAA): Timing is not an essential part of the event or activity presented by the content, except for non-interactive synchronized media and real-time events.

Intent

The intent of this Success Criterion is to minimize the occurrence of content that requires timed interaction. This enables people with blindness, low vision, cognitive limitations, or motor impairments to interact with content. This differs from the Level A Success Criterion in that the only exception is for real-time events.

Video only, such as sign language, is covered in Guideline 1.1.

Benefits

Examples

Related Resources

Resources are for information purposes only, no endorsement implied.

Techniques

Each numbered item in this section represents a technique or combination of techniques that the WCAG Working Group deems sufficient for meeting this Success Criterion. However, it is not necessary to use these particular techniques. For information on using other techniques, see Understanding Techniques for WCAG Success Criteria, particularly the "Other Techniques" section.

Sufficient Techniques

  1. Allowing users to complete an activity without any time limit

Advisory Techniques

Although not required for conformance, the following additional techniques should be considered in order to make content more accessible. Not all techniques can be used or would be effective in all situations.

Failures

The following are common mistakes that are considered failures of this Success Criterion by the WCAG Working Group.

Key Terms

essential

if removed, would fundamentally change the information or functionality of the content, and information and functionality cannot be achieved in another way that would conform

real-time event

event that a) occurs at the same time as the viewing and b) is not completely generated by the content

A Webcast of a live performance (occurs at the same time as the viewing and is not prerecorded).

An on-line auction with people bidding (occurs at the same time as the viewing).

Live humans interacting in a virtual world using avatars (is not completely generated by the content and occurs at the same time as the viewing).

synchronized media

audio or video synchronized with another format for presenting information and/or with time-based interactive components, unless the media is a media alternative for text that is clearly labeled as such