- From: David Poehlman <poehlman@clark.net>
- Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 15:34:44 -0500
- To: WAI User Agent Working Group <w3c-wai-ua@w3.org>, "Gregory J. Rosmaita" <unagi69@concentric.net>
This discharges our action item springing forth from the November 10 teleconf. Gregory's additions are marked with JGR and mind with Dp. TECHNIQUES FOR GUIDELINE 11 (5 November Last Call Draft) Guideline 11. Provide accessible product documentation and help DP's ADDITIONS: One should not assume that the disabled user of a user agent will only be an end user. A disabled user may be a developer using the user agent as a test bed or someone who needs critical information that can only be obtained by as direct a path to the tool's mechanics and "under-the-hood" features as possible. Documentation, therefore, is critical to the use of a user agent by a multitude of users, and should be well positioned and easily accessible to all potential users. This means that it is highly advisable that you provide several electronic forms of the documents describing and detailing the user agent's operation, installation, configuration and whatever other functionalities are available to the user as a separate--but well referenced and easily accessed--format included in the archive or on the media (such as CD-ROM or floppy disks) through which the user agent is distributed, and/or as an integrated part of the software distribution package. GJR's ADDITIONS: In keeping with the spirit of this Guideline, it is also essential that the run-time help and any web-based help or support information, as well as the documentation distributed with the tool, be fully accessible to persons with disabilities. It is also imperative that the user be able to invoke the run-time help with a simple, well documented keystroke command. It is strongly suggested that the keybinding used to invoke the UAs help system be the default "Help" keybinding for the platform upon which the UA is running. (Refer also to Checkpoint 5.8 and the Techniques for Checkpoint 5.8) It is essential that any web-based support and/or documentation that is produced or maintained by the manufacturer of a user agent or by a sub-contractor of the user agent's developer, comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines [WCAG], so that it, too, may be used by persons with disabilities. This includes (but is not limited to): 1. alternative textual descriptions of all graphics 2. extended descriptions of screen-shots, flow-charts, etc. 3. clear and consistent navigational mechanisms 4. use of the NOFRAMES element when the support/documentation is presented in a FRAMESET 5. non-tablized (linear) listings of keystrokes and keybindings __________________________________________________________ Checkpoint 11.1 Provide a version of the product documentation that conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. [Priority 1] DP's ADDITIONS: Alternative and fully equivalent forms of documentation can also be provided in a form that is tailored to or which conforms to a desired type of output, such as an electronic Braille device, a specialized reading system, or ready for a Braille embosser. __________________________________________________________ Checkpoint 11.4 In a dedicated section, document all features of the user agent that promote accessibility. [Priority 2] DP's ADDITIONS: When providing, in a dedicated section, documentation for all features of the user agent that promote accessibility, it is also essential that such information be clearly and obviously linked to other sections of the documentation, where appropriate. A dedicated section documenting the features of the user agent that promote accessibility, however, must not be the only method of documenting such features.
Received on Tuesday, 16 November 1999 15:37:36 UTC