WCAG 2.0 · Level AAA · Perceivable
1.4.8 Visual Presentation
Manual verification
How to validate 1.4.8 by hand
Review whether long blocks of text can be presented with user-controlled visual settings that support comfortable reading.
Start with the extension result
Reopen the reported URL and reproduce the same state (for example, after expanding a menu or submitting a form). Use the result’s Highlight action when available, or its affected-element details and CSS selector, to find the reported content. Apply the checks below to that content and its context. If the element or state has changed, rescan and record that difference before deciding whether the finding still applies.
- Check whether foreground/background colors can be selected by the user without losing page information.
- Test text resizing and line width, and confirm users can avoid fully justified text and overlapping line/paragraph spacing.
- Read a representative long passage at the user’s chosen settings and check that focus and navigation remain usable.
Evidence to record
Record which visual presentation option is unavailable and the text or control that becomes difficult or impossible to use.
Scope and exceptions
This is a Level AAA criterion with multiple presentation requirements. Evaluate the specified alternatives and exceptions, not one preferred typography style in isolation.
Record the review outcome
- Confirmed: the recorded evidence shows the requirement is not met in the tested page state, and no applicable exception explains it.
- Not reproduced: the reported issue is absent in the current state. Record the URL, state, and affected element you checked; this does not prove other pages or states conform.
- Needs more review: evidence is incomplete, the content requires human judgment, or an exception is uncertain. Record what remains to be checked instead of treating it as a pass.