RE: SELECT/ OPTION GROUPS with the SIZE attribute

Scott> I must be missing something about postponing this to
Scott> another working draft - what is the rush to put this
Scott> in HTML 4.0 and what is the objection to having
Scott> another working draft post HTML 4.0 that addresses this?

The attempt of us folks on the WAI to make sure that the
 accessibility recommendations make it into the officialW3C
 HTML 4.0recommendation is the hope and assumption that
 unlike in the case of commercial browser shipping
 deadlines, mainstream and accessibility features*will* get
 treated on an equal footing within the W3C.

The recent past has evinced quite clearly that the above
does not hold in the case of commercial browser ship
decisions-- features affecting a minority of users do not
typically hold back major product shipments.
I cannot see any major vendor shipping a browser if the
mouse support does not work-- but accessibility support does
not typically have the same impact on shipment.

However,I for one would be very disappointed in the
effectiveness of the WAI if the same happened in the case of
W3C recommendations. So at the meta-level, this is why I and
others in the WAI would wish to make sure that no
accessibility recommendation gets shoved aside for the
"future".

Many of us in the WAI have worked especially hard in the
last month (as evinced by the volume on the mailing list)
to meet the constraints of the HTML-WG's working deadlines--
at this point the onus is on the WG to:

1) Give these recommendations a fair hearing (which Dan
   Connolly as the chair of the HTML-WG has bee doing)

2) a) For members of the HTML-WG
to constructively  IMPROVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WHERE NECESSARY 

b) Propose effective alternatives if appropriate
--and if proposing an alternative describe clearly how the
alternative will meet all of the 
needs addressed by the recommendation being replaced)
3) Integrate the updated recommendations into the official
   4.0 recommendation


I and others on the WAI-WG would be more than happy to
consider and review any alternative proposals or
constructive improvements that members of the HTML-WG can
put forth based on their greater experience. 

 --Raman

-- 
Best Regards,
--raman

      Adobe Systems                 Tel: 1 (408) 536 3945   (W14-129)
      Advanced Technology Group     Fax: 1 (408) 537 4042 
      (W14 129) 345 Park Avenue     Email: raman@adobe.com 
      San Jose , CA 95110 -2704     Email:  raman@cs.cornell.edu
      http://labrador.corp.adobe.com/~raman/        (Adobe Intranet)
      http://cs.cornell.edu/home/raman/raman.html    (Cornell)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are my own and in no way should be taken
as representative of my employer, Adobe Systems Inc.
____________________________________________________________

Received on Monday, 27 October 1997 16:39:22 UTC