FW: Your comments about HTML techniques for data tables

>From SOfia 



"Good design is accessible design." 
John Slatin, Ph.D.
Director, Accessibility Institute
University of Texas at Austin
FAC 248C
1 University Station G9600
Austin, TX 78712
ph 512-495-4288, f 512-495-4524
email jslatin@mail.utexas.edu
web http://www.utexas.edu/research/accessibility/


 


-----Original Message-----
From: Sofia.Celic@nils.org.au [mailto:Sofia.Celic@nils.org.au] 
Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 11:18 pm
To: John M Slatin
Subject: Re: Your comments about HTML techniques for data tables


Hi John,

Thank you for making such an effort and getting back to me (and
presumably
others) about this technique.

The new technique looks good to me. I've included here a few things that
I noted as I read it:

A pedantic suggestion for the Description section is to make the
description of tabular data more clear regarding the type of logical
relationship. In particular, that the relationships have two dimensions.
Perhaps the following could be incorporated: "Tabular data is
information that has a two-dimensional relationship; meaning the data
has relationships in both the horizontal and vertical directions."

Also in the Description section: change "Techniques such as inserting
tabs between columns..." to "Techniques such as inserting tabs to create
columns...". That is, use "create" for clarity that the tabs create the
columns, otherwise is sounds like they already exist and tabs are just
inserted in between them.

An extra closing bracket is at the start of the last sentence in the
Example 1 text.

With thanks,
Sofia

____________________________
Dr Sofia Celic
Senior Web Accessibility Consultant
Vision Australia - Accessible Information Solutions
454 Glenferrie Road
Kooyong, Victoria, 3144
Ph: +61 (0)3 9864 9284
Fax: +61 (0)3 9864 9370
E-mail: Sofia.Celic@visionaustralia.org.au
www.visionaustralia.org.au

Vision Australia was formed through the merger of Royal Blind Society,
the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, Vision Australia Foundation
and the National Information and Library Service.
ABN: 67 108 391 831. ACN: 108 391 831



|---------+------------------------------->
|         |           "John M Slatin"     |
|         |           <john_slatin@austin.|
|         |           utexas.edu>         |
|         |                               |
|         |           16/02/2006 08:54 AM |
|         |                               |
|---------+------------------------------->
 
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------|
  |
|
  |       To:       <sofia.celic@nils.org.au>
|
  |       cc:
|
  |       Subject:  Your comments about HTML techniques for data tables
|
 
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------|




Hi Sofia,

Thanks for your comment about the HTML technique for SC 1.3.1 formerly
titled "Using table, tr, and td for tabular information." (This
technique has been renamed "Using table markup to present tabular
information" and the technique has been combined with the technique
about "Using the th element to identify column and row headers."  The
technique about using the th element no longer exists as an independent
technique.)

After careful review of the HTML 4.01 specification, we decided not to
use the scope attribute because it is not required by the specification.
Screen readers are able to correctly identify column and row headers in
simple data tables when only the <th> element is used. An algorithm for
recognizing heading information in the absence of the scope and headers
attributes is described in the HTML specification.

The revised technique, Using table markup to present tabular
information, is available at the technique,
http://trace.wisc.edu/wcag_wiki/index.php?title=Using_table_markup_to_pr
esent_tabular_information

A new HTML technique has also been added to address use of the scope
attribute:
Using the scope attribute to associate header cells and data cells in
data tables Is available at
http://trace.wisc.edu/wcag_wiki/index.php?title=Using_the_scope_attribut
e_to_associate_header_cells_and_data_cells_in_data_tables

Please review these techniques and let me know if they address your
concerns.

Thanks so much.
John


"Good design is accessible design."
John Slatin, Ph.D.
Director, Accessibility Institute
University of Texas at Austin
FAC 248C
1 University Station G9600
Austin, TX 78712
ph 512-495-4288, f 512-495-4524
email jslatin@mail.utexas.edu
web http://www.utexas.edu/research/accessibility/

Received on Monday, 27 February 2006 14:45:24 UTC