Re: Reference card: new version

> A sans-serif font will be very difficult to read on this scale.

Recent studies have shown that serif faces are just faster to read at
normal size, but that sans-serif lead to better understanding and
overall stronger subjective preference (i.e. people like them better).


> World Wide Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative

This should be replaced by the W3C + WAI logo (as seen on top of
www.w3.org/WAI).
 
> Hand-, eye-, and ear-free features to make your site accessible to people
> with disabilities and individuals who have portable devices and slow
> connections: 

I'd rather use an active sentence, i.e. These ... features will
make your site...

I'd remore the colon and make it an intro.

Otherwise I like it (and "portable or slow devices", as Bill said, is
shorter)

 
> Hypertext links 
> Use descriptive hypertext links. Each link should make sense when read
> alone or out of context. 

I think we need to follow some priority order in this list.

Link text is not a priority 1 on the PA document, it should come after 
ALT or FRAME.
 
> Photographs, images & animations 
> Describe content or purpose within the <Alt="text"> attribute. Create text
> alternatives.

Please, no "Create text alternatives", it's ambiguous and we don't
want people to think we ask them to double their number of pages.

> Backgrounds 
> Choose uncluttered backgrounds and contrasting text and background
> colours. 

Really not important. I'd remove this one. Most if not all UAs support
an "ignore author background/foreground" setting nowadays.
 
> Imagemaps 
> Many people cannot use a mouse. Duplicate imagemap hot spots as a list of
> text anchors. Ensure that every link can be activated using keyboard
> commands. 

Duplicate is a bad word :-) We want them to use ALT and client side
image map, and if they can't, then a text version.

> Tables 
> Prepare a text-only page that describes its content.

Again, no asking for double page as a first order.
"Avoid complex table or prepare a text-only..." is fine.
 
> Graphs & charts 
> Summarize content. Make the raw data available.

Instead of "Make the raw data available.", I'd say "Provide a long
description".
In any case, I think this is too arcane for a business card and can be 
left out.
 
> Frames 
> Label each frame with <TITLE>, and include a simplified version of its
> content within the <NOFRAMES> attribute. 

Since <TITLE> or <NAME> can be used, I'd just say "Label each frame,
and if too complex, provide a linear version in with <NOFRAMES>.

Note that we can save on word/size by skipping attribute (this is an
element in this case, not an attribute in fact)
 
> Audio 
> Prepare audio descriptions, or link to a page that contains 
> transcripts or descriptions. 
> 
> Page organization 
> Use headings, lists and summaries to make pages easy to scan. 

I'd move this one on structure right after ALT, as second top.
 
> Evaluate accessibility 

Evaluate your accessibility is more personal.

> Try different browsers; switch off graphics, sounds and animations;
> navigate via keyboard, without a mouse; use a monochrome monitor; use
> automated analysis tools. 

Can be shorten:

I'd remove "without a mouse" which doesn't add much after mentioning
the keyboard, and monochrome monitor. I'd add "use automated and
text-only emulation tools".

> See www.w3.org/WAI for the complete WAI Page Author Guidelines

I like this short closing and the way it is presented on the card.

Received on Wednesday, 7 October 1998 05:08:07 UTC