Preliminary evaluation: 1.4.4 text resize and zooming

Hi All
I'm doing my 'homework' to prepare a simple test of 1.4.4 for the
Preliminary Evaluation see
http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/wiki/Web_Accessibility_Preliminary_Evaluation
I've been looking at how different browsers manage text resizing and  found
that most current browsers (Firefox, IE9, Opera and Chrome) deal with this
through zoom of the whole page - this gets around many of the old problems
of text disappearing or getting jumbled up because the text and container
increase in size together - even IE9 can successfully zoom an old style
non-compliant website using 10pt fixed font.(example
http://www.enfieldover50sforum.org.uk - select link to Useful links)
The screen shot below shows the only example I can find of a failed 1.4.4.
From: http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/track/actions/open (viewed in Firefox).
The floating right panel text is set to 80% so it is already too small for
me. Using Firefox, even a modest zoom to 130% results in the floating panel
overflowing the main table. In IE9, when zoomed the float panel moves up
and table drops down, this is legible but breaks the cognitive connection.
Apart from this curious example - is it OK to meet 1.4.4 through the
browser zoom function, or does it specifically have to work with a 'text
only enlarge'.
Best wishes
Suzette







-- 
Suzette Keith
Usability and Accessibility Consultant: requirements gathering and
evaluation
Digital Unite licenced tutor: getting started with email, shopping and
travel.