Understanding Prerequisites for Test Rules

[lwolberg]

Background: A discussion on a recent call reiterated the following position regarding valid HTML: While valid HTML is desirable, valid HTML is not a success criteria in any WCAG, and so is not a prerequisite for running a Test Rule. The group on the call felt that this prerequisite (or lack thereof) would be informative to future users of the Test Rules. Shadi pointed out that the "Understanding" pages [https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/understanding-act-rules] are a good place to share information like this. The committee suggested that we propose an addition to the "Understandings"

Proposed: We draft and add to the relevant "Understanding" page a heading where we can communicate this and perhaps other relevant prerequisites (or lack thereof).

To get things moving here is a strawman:

Test Rules Prerequisites

The HTML web page is available to the testing process. While it is desirable that the HTML be well formed (and pass, for example, the W3C markup validation service [https://validator.w3.org/], Test Rules (like most browsers) do not require valid HTML.

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[nitedog]

How about adding a briefer note to the section "Test Rules are Partial Checks"?

Something like:
Test Rules do not check for HTML validity beyond what is required for accessibility.