CPACC Basic 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes the social model of disability?
- Disability is caused by medical conditions that need treatment
- Disability results from barriers in society rather than individual impairments (Correct answer)
- Disability is a personal tragedy that requires charitable support
- Disability is determined solely by functional limitations
Correct answer: Disability results from barriers in society rather than individual impairments
The social model holds that disability is created by societal barriers (physical, attitudinal, communication) rather than by a person's impairment itself.
The social model of disability, developed primarily by disabled activists in the 1970s-80s, fundamentally reframes disability as a product of how society is organized rather than an inherent quality of the individual. Under this model, a wheelchair user is disabled not by their mobility impairment but by buildings without ramps, inaccessible transport, and discriminatory attitudes.
Question 2: What does WCAG stand for?
- Web Compliance Accessibility Guide
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (Correct answer)
- Website Conformance and Accessibility Goals
- Web Content Assistive Guidelines
Correct answer: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published by the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the internationally recognized standard for digital accessibility. Developed by the W3C through their Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), WCAG provides a comprehensive framework of success criteria organized under four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). The current versions are WCAG 2.1 and 2.2, with three conformance levels: A, AA, and AAA.
Question 3: Which WCAG conformance level is most commonly referenced in accessibility legislation worldwide?
- Level A
- Level AA (Correct answer)
- Level AAA
- Level A and AAA combined
Correct answer: Level AA
Level AA is the standard most widely adopted by legislation such as the ADA, EN 301 549, and Section 508.
WCAG Level AA is the conformance level referenced by virtually all major accessibility regulations globally. This includes the ADA in the US, EN 301 549 in the EU, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the AODA in Canada. Level AA strikes a balance between significant accessibility improvements and practical implementation.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of alt text on images?
- To improve search engine rankings for the website
- To provide a text alternative that conveys the meaning of the image to users who cannot see it (Correct answer)
- To display a tooltip when users hover over the image
- To reduce page load time by replacing images with text
Correct answer: To provide a text alternative that conveys the meaning of the image to users who cannot see it
Alt text provides a text equivalent of image content, enabling screen reader users and those who cannot view images to understand the information being conveyed.
Alternative text (alt text) is one of the most fundamental accessibility features for web content. It serves as a text-based replacement for non-text content, primarily benefiting screen reader users who cannot see images. Under WCAG, this falls under Success Criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A).
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of an assistive technology?
- A high-resolution monitor
- A screen reader like JAWS or NVDA (Correct answer)
- A mechanical keyboard
- A dual-monitor setup
Correct answer: A screen reader like JAWS or NVDA
Screen readers like JAWS and NVDA are assistive technologies that convert on-screen text and elements into speech or braille output for users with visual impairments.
Assistive technology (AT) refers to any device, software, or equipment that helps people with disabilities perform tasks. Screen readers such as JAWS and NVDA are among the most well-known for digital accessibility. Other examples include screen magnifiers, switch devices, eye-tracking systems, and voice recognition software.
Question 6: What does the acronym POUR represent in the context of WCAG?
- Practical, Operational, Universal, Reliable
- Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust (Correct answer)
- Public, Open, Usable, Responsive
- Programmable, Optimized, Unified, Reachable
Correct answer: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust
POUR stands for Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust - the four foundational principles that organize all WCAG success criteria.
POUR represents the four foundational principles of WCAG: Perceivable (information must be presentable in ways users can perceive), Operable (interface components must be operable by all users), Understandable (information and UI operation must be understandable), and Robust (content must work with current and future assistive technologies).
CPACC Basic 2
Which of the following best describes the social model of disability?