States and Properties Module for Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA States and Properties) Version 1.0 — Syntax for Adding Accessible State Information and Author Settable Properties for XML

The attributes defined in this specification enable XML languages to add information about the behavior of an element. States and Properties are mapped to accessibility frameworks (such as a screen reader) that use this information to provide alternative access solutions. Similarly, States and Properties can be used to change the rendering of content dynamically using different style sheet properties. The result is an interoperable method for associating behaviors with document-level markup. This document and the Roles for Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA Roles) fill information gaps identified by the Roadmap for Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA Roadmap) to enable accessible dynamic Web content and applications. The WAI-ARIA Roadmap performs the gap analysis identifying what technology is needed to keep the new, richly interactive Web universally accessible. The WAI-ARIA Roles specification sets out an abstract model of building blocks for accessible interfaces. This includes interactive widgets, navigable structures, and an extension mechanism. This specification creates a language module implementing the functional requirements of the abstract model that is ready for incorporation in content format profiles that follow the methods of XHTML Modularization. It also introduces one such profile for the use of this module in XHTML.