Table Navigation

Please see comments below for specifics.

I would argue that 1, 2, and 3/4 are priority 1 issues.  5 through 8 are
probably priority 2.  The summary information issue is an interesting one,
since most mainstream browsers do not render this information for
non-disabled users.  We probably cannot require a browser to make
information accessible to the user with a disability that isn't available to
the able-bodied user, even though it might be helpful.

Denis Anson, MS, OTR
Assistant Professor
Computer Access Specialist
College Misericordia
301 Lake Street
Dallas, PA 18612

RESNA
The International Organization of Assistive Technology Professionals

Member since 1989

-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ua-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ua-request@w3.org]On
Behalf Of Jon Gunderson
Sent: Friday, January 08, 1999 1:13 PM
To: w3c-wai-ua@w3.org
Subject: UA ISSUE OF THE WEEK: Table element access


The table navigation, rendering and orientation issue has been a
particularly difficult issue for the UA group to resolve.  To help resolve
table issues I think we need to:

1. Define the media contexts that features are designed to enhance.
2. Checkpoints define the problem and not specific resolution of the issue.
3. Use the technique documents to suggest implementation techniques.

During the face-to-face meeting last month a small group of people was
given the task of coming up with some new ideas for the checkpoints related
to tables.  I would like to use their results and the results of
discussions on the list and telecons as the basis of a proposal for
discussion during the week and at the next teleconference on Wednesday.

Please take the time to review this proposal and comment, or to submit your
own proposals or counter proposals.  Let's try to get the issues all on the
table before the telecon next week.

Checkpoint 1: Allow a user using an auditory, Braille and/or visually
enlarged rendering of a document to view the information in a single table
cell.

** Comment here **
It is not critical that the user be able to render a single cell, except,
perhaps, for the auditory browser.  However, it is absolutely critical that
the cells be rendered as discrete elements.  The difference between these
two statements is that a screen enlarger, or even a Braille device, might
have the ability to render more than one cell at a time, but the
distinctions between the cells must be maintained.

A counter-example of this would be found in the older versions of the screen
enlarger "Magic."  Magic had a mode that would allow the right and left
sides of the screens to be "wrapped" so that text that extended off the side
of the screen would be displayed below the text from the left side.  If the
table ordinarily displayed two cells across the screen, (or even more), the
result  would be that the content of the right cell would be intermingled
with the left cell.

The correct method of display would be to use cell borders to limit the
material, so that the content of the left cell might be wrapped within the
left cell, and the right side material would be wrapped within the right
cell.

Even an auditory browser might vocalize a series of cells in a single
utterance, but it would have to read all of one cell, indicate a change of
cells somehow, and then read the next cell.  A good auditory browser might
have "read row" and "read column" commands, that would vocalize those
entities in a stream, with indications of change of cell.

*** End of comment ***

Checkpoint 2: Provide a user using an auditory, Braille and/or visually
enlarged rendering of a document commands to move the rendering focus
between table cells.

*** Comment ***
Since cells to not receive "focus," the proper term here is "point of
regard," to be consistent with the definitions given in the document.  I
think that we should specify that we want "up and down" as well as "right
and left" navigation.  A linearlized table provides the means to move
right-and-left, but not "up and down."
*** End of Comment ***

Checkpoint 3: Provide a user using an auditory, Braille and/or visually
enlarged rendering of a document an option to have header information
viewed as part of the table cell rendering.

Checkpoint 4: Provide a user using an auditory, Braille and/or visually
enlarged rendering of a document a command to view the header information
associated with a table cell.

*** Comment ***
Checkpoints three and four present an interesting dilemma.  At least one
technique must be Priority 1.  But both need not be.  The user must have a
way of connecting header information to a cell, but whether that is
incorporated within the cell rendering, or as a "shift command" is a matter
of preference, I think.
*** End of Comment ***

Checkpoint 5: Provide a user using an auditory, Braille or visually
enlarged rendering of a document a command to view the summary information
of the current table.

Checkpoint 6: Provide a user using an auditory, Braille or visually
enlarged rendering of a document the ability to search for text in the
current table.

Checkpoint 7: Provide a user using an auditory, Braille or visually
enlarged rendering of a document the ability to view the nesting
relationships of nested tables.

Checkpoint 8: Provide a user using an auditory, Braille or visually
enlarged rendering of a document commands to move the rendering focus
between nested tables.


Checkpoints 1,2,3,4 and 5 may be also good to think about in relation to
access to frames.

Sorry this is a day late but my daughter was sick yesterday.
Look forward to your comments,
Jon

Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
1207 S. Oak Street
Champaign, IL 61820

Voice: 217-244-5870
Fax: 217-333-0248
E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu
WWW:	http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund
	http://www.als.uiuc.edu/InfoTechAccess

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