New Revision to 3/16 doc: Suggested resolutions (deaf-blind, nonreader)

This memo supersedes an earlier (3/20/99) memo entitled "Revisions to 3/16
Version: Nonreaders, Deaf-Blind, Impacts, etc.", which is available at:
http://cgi.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/1999JanMar/0455.html

This memo introduces a new revision to the 3/16/99 version of guidelines. It
is available through a page at  http://etsr.digitalchainsaw.com/wcagpub/ (The
address is temporary and the contents at the address may change.)

Among other things, the new revision does three things.

1. Underlying Text Representation of the Entire Message of Web Content. My
revision attempts to establish the principle that providing an underlying text
representation of the entire message of a Web site is a Priority 1 matter. It
does this by raising the Priority level of checkpoint 3.4 from 2 to 1. That
checkpoint deals with providing "text version of the auditory description and
collating it with the text transcriptions (captions) of the primary audio
track." This is a Priority 1 checkpoint because violation will  make it
impossible for individuals who are deaf-blind to access "sound and appearance"
information in videos/movies. With this one checkpoint, it seems to me that
all major content then has an underlying text representation. (Someone should
verify this observation.) My observation regarding comprehensiveness the
underlying text represention does not necessarily extend to "auxiliary"
content such as titles, frame descriptions, notifications, table summaries,
etc.).

2. Nonreaders. My revision states that the document does not target non-
readers (regardless of disability). If nonreaders are counted within the
groups, then the presence of the nonreaders may cause increases in the
priority of at least three checkpoints (16.2 and 8.5). Yet these checkpoints
are still not adequate to make Web content accessible to nonreaders. Web
content developers who target nonreaders are urged to not limit themselves to
this guidelines document. 

3. Realtime Nontext Content. The revision adds a checkpoint that begins to
establish a standard for accessibility on nontext realtime content such as
Web-based audio-conferencing and videoconferencing.
 
The new revision also addresses many other issues that I consider important.

Eric G. Hansen
Development Scientist
Educational Testing Service

Received on Monday, 22 March 1999 13:55:07 UTC