Short form Changes Log

Here is a short form listing of changes made to the document most recently 
as well as new issues which are still open or which we have questions on.

Gregg and Wendy




Issue 1 - image map example
(Jason White 19980124) The guidelines provide an example of an image map in
which the coordinates of the active regions are given in anchor elements,
as permitted by HTML 4.0. This version of HTML also allows block-level
content to be included in MAP. The example could be enriched by providing a
more detailed description of the library within the MAP element, such as
would appear from the image map (for example, a brief synopsis of the
layout of certain facilities).

(Editors 19980202): Excellent suggestion.  Could you draft something?



Issue 2 - alternative pages and media types
(from Jason White 19980124)  I would emphasise that alternative pages
should be
avoided wherever possible. As Daniel has correctly stated on more than one
occasion, the goal of the WAI is for there to be a single document which
can be rendered in different media with equal success. In relation to the
technical side of this proposal, the HTML 4.0 specification (at 6.13)
defines a media type of "aural" for speech synthesizers, rather than
"speech" as is incorrectly claimed in the guidelines. Also, to encompass
all types of non-graphical devices, the MEDIA value should read:
media="aural, braille, tty".

(editors 19980202):  Moved the alternative page stuff to a section called
"If all else fails..."
replaced all references to the "speech" media type with aural, and we
included handheld and tv in the list of media types.



Issue 3 - alt-text
There have been several comments on providing more specific guidelines
about the use of alt-text.  We have deferred action on these suggestions
until consensus is reached on these issues. A discussion thread will be
posted in the near future to begin this process.  This discussion will
include the title element on anchors (for images used as links).



Issue 4 - style sheets
(Daniel Dardailler 19980129) both style sheet recommendations should remain
required.

(Editors 19980202):    Done.



Issue 5 - noframes
(Daniel Dardailler 19980129): Noframe is an interim solution.  A browser 
issue.

(Editors 19980202):  How will browsers render a "noframes" version without
<noframe>?  Even if browsers are able to effectively navigate between
frames, it seems there will be instances where people would prefer a
"noframes" version.  For example, users of small displays.



Issue 6 - classifying testing tips
(Daniel Dardailler 19980129) tips should be classified new and iterim (just
like recommendations).

(Editors 19980202):  Most all of the tips are not new or interim so they 
would have no label on them (like the strategies dont).  I think there is 
only one that is interim and it says that it is just for todays browsers. 
  Do you see other tips that need to be labeled?



Issue 7 - providing e-mail address, phone and fax numbers
(Daniel Dardailler 19980129) these are interim solutions

(Editors 19980202):   yep.  Done.  noted that this is so, as well as, " 
 Include
default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas."



Issue 8 - definition of "Required"
(Geoff Freed 19980129) stronger language is needed

(Editors 19980202) Done.  "Required, otherwise it will be impossible for
one or more groups of users to understand the page."  "One or more groups
of users" is a link to the intro of the central reference doc.



Issue 9 - definitions in audio/video
(Geoff Freed 19980129) definitions needed for transcript, caption, and
audio description.  Also don't use transcript and caption interchangebly.

(Editors 19980202) done.



Issue 10 - links read out of context
(Geoff Freed 19980129) needs to be required

(Editors 19980202) Doesn't meet the definition of required.  We would need 
to change the definition to include things that are helpful.  That would 
weaken the required label but allow us to put more stuff in it.  We may not 
have a justification for using the work required though if we did.  You 
thoughts?



Issue 11 - printable character between links in a list
(Geoff Freed 19980129) upgrade to required

(Editors 19980202) doesn't meet the definition of required.  (see issue 10)



Issue 12 - audience
several people wanted the audience better defined in the intro to the
document.  The following abstract was added at the beginning of the
document:

This document is a list of markup guidelines that HTML authors
should follow in order to make their pages more accessible. Following the
list of guidelines is a checklist that authors and Web masters should use
to verify page accessibility. Tools that generate documents in HTML
(authoring tools, file conversion packages or other products) should
produce documents that follow these guidelines.  This document is part of a
series of accessibility documents published by the Web Accessibility
Initiative.



Issue 13 - links to transcripts
(Daniel Dardailler 19980130) need examples

(Editors 19980202):  good idea, ran out of time for this draft.  in 
process.  Please send examples if you have them.



Issue 14 - use of style sheets in presentaiton of ratings and 
classifications
(Daniel Dardailler 19980130) suggest use SS to get rid of brackets when
style sheets loaded (will display when SS not loaded).  also, but borders
around new and interim, and place on own lines.

(Editors 19980202): borders do not seem to be supported for MSIE 4.0.  The
loss of the brackets around "required" and "recommended" made the
characters difficult to read (the white characters bled into the white
background).  We are continuing to look at ways to do this better that work 
on the different browsers (both for viewing and for printing).  It is not 
easy to find things that work.  Suggestions always welcome.



Issue 15 - navbars
(Al Gilman 19980130) while we need to wait to see what user agents do, what
I might like to see here is a some sort of a caution, with a hyperlink to
wherever the "too many introductory links" problem is discussed. This is an
area where the technology doesn't yet offer a universal solution, so an
unqualified "Do this:" is misleading.
(Jason White 19980201) Guidelines should say something about making use of
the "div" element for navbars.  Or use the LINK element in head as a
substitute for a navigation bar in the body of the document (which would
require some discussion with the UI group on how and when this gets 
rendered).

(Editors 19980202) great ideas.  we ran out of time on this release, i.e.
there is no cautionary note to link to at this time - that we're aware
of... and we need to discuss other possibilities this further.  Do you have 
suggested wording?




Issue 16 - class, code and pre to markup code (and indicate what kind of 
code)
(Editors 19980202):  interesting possibilities here that should be 
discussed further.



Gregg and Wendy

-- ------------------------------
Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Professor - Human Factors
Dept of Ind. Engr. - U of Wis.
Director - Trace R & D Center
gv@trace.wisc.edu    http://trace.wisc.edu
FAX 608/262-8848
For a list of our listserves send "lists" to listproc@trace.wisc.edu

Received on Monday, 2 February 1998 19:07:00 UTC