WCAG 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)

Introduction

This document provides information about the related Acquia Web Governance accessibility check:

• Can users recover deleted information?

What

This check verifies that you have provided a mechanism for users to restore or undo the deletion of information. Systems that provide a way to recover deleted content help prevent users from permanent data loss due to accidental actions.

Why

Provide a recovery or undo option to prevent serious consequences when a user removes content by mistake and needs a simple mechanism to reverse the action. 

Who

This check affect users with

• Cognitive disabilities: Who may make errors when they navigate or enter data.
• Attention disorders: Who may make errors when they navigate or enter data.
• All users in distracting environments: Who may accidentally trigger a deletion.

Examples

WCAG 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)

Introduction

This document provides information about the related Acquia Web Governance accessibility check:

• Can users recover deleted information?

What

This check verifies that you have provided a mechanism for users to restore or undo the deletion of information. Systems that provide a way to recover deleted content help prevent users from permanent data loss due to accidental actions.

Why

Provide a recovery or undo option to prevent serious consequences when a user removes content by mistake and needs a simple mechanism to reverse the action. 

Who

This check affect users with

• Cognitive disabilities: Who may make errors when they navigate or enter data.
• Attention disorders: Who may make errors when they navigate or enter data.
• All users in distracting environments: Who may accidentally trigger a deletion.

Examples

Pass example

The system includes a clear Undo notification or a trash folder where items can be recovered from.

HTML

<button onclick="undoDeletion()">Undo Delete</button>

This is correct because it provides an immediate way for the user to reverse a mistake.

Fail example

Information is permanently deleted immediately after a user clicks a delete button, without any confirmation or recovery option.

HTML

<button onclick="permanentlyDeleteData()">Delete Permanently</button>

This is an issue because the background process does not allow users to correct errors, which can lead to data loss.

How

This section provides information on how to review and fix this issue.

How to review it

1. Identify any functionality on the page that allows for the deletion of data or content. 

2. Determine if the system allows you to undo the action or if the deleted item is moved to a temporary storage area for recovery. 

If there is no way to retrieve the information after it is deleted, the check fails.

How to fix it

The following are ways to ensure that users can recover deleted information:

• Provide a visible Undo button immediately after a deletion occurs.
• Implement a confirmation dialog that prompts users to verify the deletion before it becomes final.
• Move deleted items to a Recycle Bin or Archive so that they can be restored later.
• Use aria-live="assertive" to inform screen reader users that a recovery option is available after an item is removed.

Additional resources

WCAG criteria

• 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)