Proposal to fix (persistent) problem with priority of checkpoint 6.1

Hello,

In the 1 September UAAG 1.0 [1], checkpoint 6.1 is P1 and reads:

  Implement the accessibility features of all supported specifications 
  (markup languages, style sheet languages, metadata languages,
  graphics formats, etc.). Accessibility features are those identified 
  in the specification and those features of the specification 
  that support requirements of the "Web Content Accessibility 
  Guidelines 1.0" [WCAG10], the "Authoring Tool Accessibility 
  Guidelines 1.0" [ATAG10], and the current document. [Priority 1] 

The issue of whether this checkpoint should have a relative priority
has already been raised (number 111 [2]), and at the Princeton
face-to-face, we resolved to leave it a P1 checkpoint [3]. Eric
has recently broached the topic again [4], asking:

   "Is it a Priority 1 UAAG requirement to ensure that 
    features that support all three_ WCAG and ATAG priority 
    levels are implemented?"

In fact, I see a bug in the UAAG 1.0 spec since it refers 
at a P1 level to "those features of the specifcation that support 
the requirements of ... the current document") and not all
the requirements are P1. 

If I recall, the strongest argument against a relative priority
for this checkpoint was that even if a requirement is P3 in WCAG,
it is important for user agents to implement such features, otherwise
there is no pressure to provide the support author's need. I believe
the same argument may be made for ATAG requirements that refer to
content, but not necessarily those that refer to user interface.

PROPOSED FIX:

  - Delete "and the current document" from 6.1. Thus, to conform
    to this document, you must satisfy the checkpoints of this document
    and relevant requirements of other documents at a P1 level

  - Delete the reference to ATAG 1.0 (since content requirements
    covered by WCAG and  user interface requirements covered by UAAG).

  - Clearly state that we mean *all* requirements of WCAG 1.0 (P1, P2,
and P3).

<NEW>
  Implement the accessibility features of all supported specifications 
  (markup languages, style sheet languages, metadata languages,
  graphics formats, etc.). Accessibility features are those identified 
  in the specification and those features of the specification 
  that support requirements of the "Web Content Accessibility 
  Guidelines 1.0" [WCAG10] [Priority 1] 
</NEW>

 - Ian

[1] http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/WD-UAAG10-20000901/
[2] http://server.rehab.uiuc.edu/ua-issues/issues-linear.html#111
[3] http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/1999/12/ftf-19991210#issue-111
[4] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2000JulSep/0397.html

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Thursday, 28 September 2000 07:14:01 UTC