Re : Influence of valid code on screen readers

Hi folks,

I've already written in this list that - in my opinion - valid code is one
of the starting points to try and make a bettere Web, also more accessible.

We all know that an accessible web site can be "not valid" and that valid
code is not the only issue about web accessibility, but it is simply one of
those.

We all also know that some browsers and even some assistive technology are
able to handle not valid code (which is simply Tag soup), but how can a W3C
recommendation base itself upon Tag soup? How can a W3C recommandation say:
"ok, if you really need it, you can use tag soup"?

Matt said:
It's not the product that makes valid code also accessible, it's the
_practice_

Roberto:
It's true that there will never be a tool able to generate accessible pages
by itself, but what kind of practice can exist without a base of discipline?
Practice must be based on some milestones, and valid code is simply one of
those, not the only one of course. 

Does anyone of us imagine a course on X-HTML where the teacher says "no
matter what W3C says, the only important thing is that you reach your aim...
Use any kind of code despite of the standards"; why should _we_ say such
things?

I think that we should remember that W3C is "the reference" in the whole Web
community, and that W3C should "trace the road" for the Web of tomorrow; if
we realize that nowadays authoring tools and CMS (not everyone to be honest)
are not able to generate valid code should we say "ok, that's the real
world" or should we try and push vendors to create better tools?

W3C (and WAI) cannot comply with actual market products and vendors;
instead, products and vendors should use W3C recommendations and pushes to
make a better Web.

W3C (and WAI) cannot simply read todays Web and its troubles, but should
give the right suggestions to fight and defeat such troubles. W3C must also
educate and induce web developers - the newbies and the professionals - in
getting a better level of knowledge of web standards, and I don't think that
allowing tag soup is the best way to get that result.

My best regards,

Roberto Castaldo
-----------------------------------
www.Webaccessibile.Org coordinator
IWA/HWG Member
rcastaldo@webaccessibile.org
r.castaldo@iol.it
Icq 178709294
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Received on Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:17:34 UTC