Timeout
A limit on how long a person has to finish a task before the page resets or signs them out.
A timeout ends a session or clears a form after a set period, usually for security or to free up a reservation. For a person who reads slowly, uses a screen reader, types with a switch, or needs to look up a document, a short limit can mean losing everything they entered.
WCAG’s “Timing Adjustable” criterion at Level A asks that a time limit be something the person can turn off, adjust, or extend with a simple action before it runs out, with exceptions for real-time events, limits that are essential, and limits longer than 20 hours. The practical version is a warning before the limit, a button to extend it, and saving what was typed so a sign-out does not throw it away.
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