Re: HTML5 DL Element vs. WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria

found this article/discussion on the same subject from 2012:

DEFINITION LISTS VERSUS TABLES
http://snook.ca/archives/html_and_css/definition-lists-v-tables

--

Regards

SteveF
HTML 5.1 <http://www.w3.org/html/wg/drafts/html/master/>


On 6 February 2014 16:37, Mike Elledge <melledge@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi Everyone--
>
> I have a question about the use of the DL element.
>
> HTML5 seems to have broadened the use case for the DL element to include
> occasions where a list would benefit from a built-in descriptive heading
> instead of using <hx> or presenting information in a data table. If used in
> this way, DL provides more flexibility in presenting list items and enables
> screen readers to announce both the heading and list items together, which
> (it seems) would improve both usability and accessibility for persons.
>
> This is particularly true where, for example, a search returns collections
> of information containing different categories (for example, a list of the
> courses a student is taking, each of which contains information about the
> instructor or instructors, rooms, dates, subject matter, etc.) that could
> be placed in a table, but is more readable when shown in discrete chunks
> (course by course, for example). A tempting way around this is to put text
> within an unordered list, which results in screen readers speaking first
> the heading then the items, but doing this creates invalid code.
>
> In contrast, WCAG 2.0 limits DL to its HTML4 role as a definition (as in a
> Glossary), which would preclude an expanded use of DL.
>
> Will WCAG 2.0 be revised to include the more flexible implementation of
> DL, or have I misunderstood DL's re-definition in HTML5?
>
> Any input about this would be greatly appreciated!
>
> Best regards,
>
> Mike Elledge
>