Timing Adjustable Accessibility Checker

WCAG 2.2.1 (Timing Adjustable, Level A) requires that for each time limit set by the content, at least one of the following is true: the user can turn off the time limit before encountering it, adjust it to at least 10x the default length, or extend it — with a warning at least 20 seconds before expiration and a simple action (like pressing a key) to extend by at least 10x. Exceptions exist for real-time events (auctions, live broadcasts), essential time limits (timed exams where timing is a requirement), and time limits longer than 20 hours. This criterion protects users who need more time due to cognitive disabilities, motor impairments (slow typing/navigation), visual disabilities (slower reading with screen readers), or language barriers.

Time-based barriers appear in many common web patterns:

• Session timeouts: Banking and e-commerce sites often expire sessions after 15-30 minutes of inactivity. Users filling forms with assistive technology may need significantly longer. Fix: warn before timeout and allow extension
• Auto-rotating carousels: Slides that advance every 3-5 seconds do not give users enough time to read. Screen reader users may not even detect the content change. Fix: provide pause/stop controls and manual navigation
• Auto-refreshing content: News tickers, stock prices, or social feeds that refresh automatically can interrupt screen reader announcements. Fix: let users control refresh frequency
• Form completion timers: Multi-step forms that expire partially completed data. Fix: save progress and extend or remove the timer
• Notification banners: Toast messages that disappear after a few seconds. Fix: keep notifications visible until the user dismisses them, or ensure they are announced via aria-live

Patterns for meeting WCAG 2.2.1:

• Session timeout warning: Display a modal dialog 2 minutes before timeout: <div role="alertdialog" aria-label="Session expiring"><p>Your session expires in 2 minutes.</p><button>Extend session</button></div>
• Carousel pause control: <button aria-label="Pause slideshow" aria-pressed="false">Pause</button> — must be keyboard accessible and stop all automatic advancement
• Persistent notifications: Replace auto-dismissing toasts with notifications that persist until closed: <div role="status" aria-live="polite">Your order has been placed.<button aria-label="Dismiss notification">×</button></div>
• Save form progress: Auto-save form data to localStorage or server-side, so timeout does not erase user input. Restore data when the user returns

The ADA Title II deadline of April 24, 2026 makes timing adjustability a legal requirement for government sites. The European Accessibility Act mandates the same through EN 301 549.

CompliScan identifies several timing-related patterns: <meta http-equiv="refresh"> tags that auto-redirect or refresh pages, auto-playing media without controls, and carousel/slider components without pause mechanisms. The scanner also checks for JavaScript-based redirects with timing and content using CSS animations that may constitute auto-advancing content. Each finding describes the timing mechanism detected and provides AI-generated suggestions for adding user controls. Detecting session timeouts and complex JavaScript timers is harder to automate — CompliScan flags the indicators but recommends manual testing of authentication flows, checkout processes, and multi-step forms. Automated tools catch approximately 30-40% of timing issues. Manually test your most critical timed interactions: log in, start a form, wait, and verify you receive a warning before timeout. Try a free CompliScan scan to identify auto-refreshing content and uncontrolled animations on your site.