Re: Issue 435: Proposal to address non-normative nature of checkpoint groupings

Seems OK to me.

Jon


At 05:37 PM 2/23/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello,
>
>When we discussed issue 435 [1], a question arose about the normative
>status of the "checkpoint group labels". There are four such labels in
>our document:
>
>  - Checkpoints for content accessibility
>  - Checkpoints for user interface accessibility
>  - Checkpoints for communication with other software
>  - Checkpoints for accessible documentation
>
>These labels were initially included in the document for
>organizational purposes only, to address issue 121 [2]. However, they
>have since become "normative." The following statement in section 3.4
>of the 26 Jan 2001 Guidelines [3] ties the labels to conformance:
>
>    "Each checkpoint requirement must be satisfied by making
>    information or functionalities available through the user interface
>    of the subject of the claim unless the checkpoint explicitly states
>    that the requirement must be met by making information available
>    through an application programming interface (API). These API
>    checkpoints are labeled "checkpoints for communication with other
>    software."
>
>The problem is that it's no so clear cut. Some checkpoints include
>some requirements that aren't labeled "for communication with other
>software" but don't involve the user interface at all (e.g., the
>documentation requirements of Guideline 10).
>
>One might think that ideally, each checkpoint should be sufficient to
>stand on its own, so this type of general statement would not be
>necessary. But some checkpoints depend on the requirements made by
>other checkpoints in order to be complete. For example, every time we
>say "allow configuration", we don't say "allow configuration through
>an accessible user interface that may be operated through the
>keyboard" because checkpoint 1.1 ensures that the UI must be operable
>through the keyboard.
>
>I think we need to replace the paragraph in question with one that:
>
>  a) Makes clear that the groupings aren't normative at all
>  b) Makes clear that requirements related to user interaction must
>     be satisfied through the user interface. This may be
>     "self-evident", but I don't think it hurts to remind people,
>     notably for some cases where they may not have thought of it.
>
>Proposed replacement paragraph:
>
><NEW>
>   "The user agent must satisfy all requirements involving user
>   interaction (both user input and output to the user) through the
>   user interface.  This includes requirements that directly refer to
>   to user control, configuration, etc. but also requirements that
>   indirectly involve the user interface (e.g., system conventions
>   pertaining to the user interface). The following checkpoint grouping
>   labels are not normative and are for organizational purposes only:
>
>     - Checkpoints for content accessibility
>     - Checkpoints for user interface accessibility
>     - Checkpoints for communication with other software
>     - Checkpoints for accessible documentation"
></NEW>
>
>  - Ian
>
>[1] http://server.rehab.uiuc.edu/ua-issues/issues-linear-lc2.html#435
>[2] http://server.rehab.uiuc.edu/ua-issues/issues-linear.html#121
>[3] http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/WD-UAAG10-20010126/#claim-validation
>
>--
>Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
>Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
>Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
MC-574
College of Applied Life Studies
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
WWW: http://www.w3.org/wai/ua

Received on Monday, 26 February 2001 10:04:21 UTC