ATAG2 Proposal on Templates

This multi-part proposal is a response to the comments questioning how to test "when used":

(was B.2.5.1) Template Auto-Selection (WCAG): Authors have the default option that only *accessible templates (WCAG)* are automatically selected by the authoring tool.

Ed. And move the details to the term defns.

(CHANGED DEFN) template
A content pattern that is filled in by authors or the authoring tool to produce content for end users (e.g. document templates, content management templates, presentation themes). Often templates will pre-specify at least some authoring decisions. The format used to implement templates may the same as the produced web content or it may differ (e.g. the same technology with placeholder codes). If the "template" is actually an entirely different web content technology (e.g., an HTML document used as a template for PDF production), the process is actually a web content transformation (See Guideline X.Y).

Ed. So this tightens what we mean by templates.


(NEW DEFN) accessible templates (WCAG)
Templates that the author tool can use to create web content that meets the WCAG 2.0 success criteria at a particular level under the following conditions:
(a) authors correctly follow the minimum instructions associated with the template, including providing complete and correct information when requested (e.g., by responding to prompts, replacing highlighted placeholders, etc.)
(b) no further authoring occurs (e.g., a "blank" document template would be assessed only on the basis of the resulting blank web content)

Ed. So we're not saying the template has to be accessible no matter what is built on it. We're talking about the bare minimum use case.


(NEW DEFN) template accessibility status
Information about accessibility with respect to templates. For example, the likely WCAG 2.0 conformance level of content produced with the template.

(was B.2.5.2) Accessible Template Options (WCAG): If the authoring tool provides templates, then there are *accessible template (WCAG)* options for a range of template uses. (Level A)

Ed. Note that I am now putting (WCAG) even on defined terms that reference WCAG so that its clear how the conformance levels flow.


(was B.2.5.4) Template Selection Mechanism: If authors are provided with a *template selection mechanism*, then both of the following are true: (Level AA) 
(a) Indicate: The selection mechanism indicates the *template accessibility status* (if known); and 
(b) Sortable: Authors can sort the template options according to the * template accessibility status* (if known)

Ed. Sortable was changed from prominence. But prominence would be hard to implement given that there is no standard way of recording pass/fail etc.


(was B.2.5.5) New Templates: If authors can use the authoring tool to create new templates for use by a template selection mechanism, they have the option to record the *template accessibility status* of the new templates. (Level AA)

(was B.2.5.7) Template Accessibility Status: If the authoring tool provides a repository of templates, then each of the templates has a recorded *template accessibility status*. (Level AAA)



RELATED....

(NEW DEFN) web content accessibility status
Information about accessibility with respect to web content. The level of detail is not specified. For example, a highly detailed status report might list all of the accessibility problems detected, whereas a less detailed status report might record only the WCAG 2.0 conformance level of the content.

THEN drop the Note from: (was B.2.2.6) Status Report:
...and use the defn instead.


Cheers,
Jan

-- 
(Mr) Jan Richards, M.Sc.
jrichards@ocad.ca | 416-977-6000 ext. 3957 | fax: 416-977-9844
Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) | http://inclusivedesign.ca/
Faculty of Design | OCAD University

Received on Thursday, 11 November 2010 20:01:00 UTC