Create a guideline for scrollable content

[Svenje7]

• Scrollable/swipable content (e.g.: a horizontal tab-navigation, a horizontal carousel)

Outcomes as pointed out in atomic rule:
https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/act/rules/0ssw9k/proposed/#top

More types of scrollable/swipable content need to be added:

• Scrolling triggering movements or animation (Parallax scrolling*)
• Infinite scrolling (e.g.: loading more items of a list such as a SERP or a feed in a blog)

Open questions, research needed:

• When content is changing on scrolling, can users with short attention spans understand and use?
• Are possible types of motion harmful to people with vestibular disorders?
• Can the combination in content between the background and the foreground or between appearing and disappearing, be understood by all users, also by keyboard and by screen reader users?
• Does the scroll/swipe gesture need an alternative on mobile devices?

Rationale:

• It should be a Guideline itself in order to make ‘Scrolling content’ visible and findable, It is not only relevant for keyboard operability.
• Please note: I thought it was a design trend only, but since more than 10 years it doesn’t end and right now I am asked for advice on what needs to be considered for making it accessible.

*= Parallax scrolling is a design effect where background elements move at different speeds than foreground elements while scrolling. The movement is usually a disclosure of elements such as images and chunks of text and the combination can for example simulate an animated story telling.