CPACC - Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies CPACC 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The four guiding principles of WCAG 2.x are summarized by the acronym POUR. What does POUR stand for?
- Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust (Correct answer)
- Perceivable, Observable, Usable, Responsive
- Primary, Operable, Understandable, Reliable
- Portable, Observable, Understandable, Robust
Correct answer: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust
WCAG 2.x is built on four principles: Perceivable (information must be presentable in ways users can sense), Operable (UI components must be navigable), Understandable (content and operation must be comprehensible), and Robust (content must be interpreted reliably by assistive technologies). All success criteria map to one of these four pillars.
Question 2: According to the social model of disability, what is the primary cause of disability?
- Individual medical impairments and genetic conditions
- Barriers created by society and the built environment that exclude people with impairments (Correct answer)
- Lack of access to assistive technology devices
- Psychological attitudes held by the person with the impairment
Correct answer: Barriers created by society and the built environment that exclude people with impairments
The social model, developed by disability activists, holds that people are disabled not by their impairments but by societal barriers — inaccessible buildings, attitudes, communication formats, and systems. This contrasts with the medical model, which locates the 'problem' within the individual.
Question 3: What minimum color contrast ratio does WCAG 2.1 Level AA require between normal-sized text and its background?
- 3:1
- 4.5:1 (Correct answer)
- 7:1
- 2:1
Correct answer: 4.5:1
WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.4.3 (Level AA) requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text (under 18pt or 14pt bold). Large text requires only 3:1, while the stricter Level AAA threshold for normal text is 7:1.
Question 4: Which standard defines ICT accessibility requirements that public-sector bodies in the European Union must meet?
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
- EN 301 549 (Correct answer)
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
- ISO/IEC 40500
Correct answer: EN 301 549
EN 301 549 is the European harmonized standard for accessibility requirements for ICT products and services. It was mandated by the European Accessibility Act and the Web Accessibility Directive and largely references WCAG 2.1 for web content. Section 508 is the US federal standard, AODA is Canadian (Ontario), and ISO/IEC 40500 is the ISO publication of WCAG 2.0.
Question 5: What does the acronym WAI-ARIA stand for?
- Web Accessibility Initiative – Accessible Rich Internet Applications (Correct answer)
- Web Application Interface – Assistive Rich Interaction Applications
- Wide Area Interface – Accessible Resource Internet Applications
- Web Accessibility Interface – Adaptive Rich Internet Architecture
Correct answer: Web Accessibility Initiative – Accessible Rich Internet Applications
WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative – Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is a W3C specification that adds roles, states, and properties to HTML elements, enabling assistive technologies to interpret dynamic web content and complex UI widgets that plain HTML semantics cannot adequately describe.
Question 6: The original framework of Universal Design, developed by Ronald Mace and colleagues at NC State, is organized around how many principles?
- 5
- 7 (Correct answer)
- 9
- 12
Correct answer: 7
The original Universal Design framework contains 7 principles: Equitable Use, Flexibility in Use, Simple and Intuitive Use, Perceptible Information, Tolerance for Error, Low Physical Effort, and Size and Space for Approach and Use. These principles guide designers to create products and environments usable by the widest possible range of people without special adaptation.
CPACC - Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies CPACC 1
The four guiding principles of WCAG 2.x are summarized by the acronym POUR.
What does POUR stand for?