WCAG 2.0 Comment Submission

Name: Shawn Henry
Email: shawn@w3.org
Affiliation: W3C WAI
Document: W2
Item Number: (none selected)
Part of Item: 
Comment Type: general comment
Comment (Including rationale for any proposed change):
Suggest re-focusing documents

Proposed Change:


Rough thoughts on content and positioning of the different WCAG 2.0 documents and change suggestions below (revised somewhat since < http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-eo/2006AprJun/0091.html>).

Note: Some of the changes below have already been discussed within the WCAG WG and are planned, and some are my own ideas that have not yet been discussed and are likely to continue to evolve.

High level summary:

- Take all but the minimum out of the /TR/WCAG20 pages, especially moving out a lot of the text from Introduction and Conformance, and moving Checklist and Comparison (“mapping”) Appendices

- Make /TR/WCAG20 the formal reference only, and direct all informative pointers to the Overview doc, and from there to the UI (next point)

- Create a user interface (UI) to access the “atoms” of Understanding and Techniques as needed, rather than the primary interaction being through /TR/WCAG20 to the middle of a large docs

Details:

1. /TR/WCAG20: Purpose is formal Technical Specification/W3C Recommendation/Standard that is stable and referenceable. Keep it as simple and succinct as possible. Include only the minimum needed for the actual technical specification. Clearly point to other documents for important information, such as more info on baseline.

Note: Encourage all general references to WCAG to go to the Overview doc <www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag20>, and only formal references in policies and such to point to /TR/WCAG20 (and there to also point to the Overview doc as informative).

Changes & Rationale:

The main change I suggest is moving out of the main /TR/WCAG20 Introduction and Conformance pages the Comparison with WCAG 1.0, explanatory examples, and other details. In addition to simplifying the normative doc, this puts the explanatory information where it can be updated to reflect changes over time as necessary. It also limits the need for repetition across documents (e.g., now some information in /TR/WCAG20 Conformance is repeated in About Baselines). I think it also would ensure that people don’t miss important information (since it becomes clear that the /TR/WCAG20 only contains the standards, and all other info is in Understanding). 

* Move all information explanatory information not necessary for the technical specification, such as what is listed under “Based on above, I propose moving the following sections out of /TR/WCAG20 Conformance:” in http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-eo/2006AprJun/0091.html

* Move “Appendix B: Checklist”. Now that the guidelines are so nicely free of extraneous information (i.e., moved extra information that was within the guidelines themselves in WCAG 1.0 to “Understanding 2.0”), this checklist is not needed as part of /TR/WCAG20. Now http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/appendixB.html pretty much equals http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/guidelines.html and is therefore redundant. (See more with #@@ below)

* Move “Appendix D: Comparison of WCAG 1.0 checkpoints to WCAG 2.0” from the formal /TR/WCAG20 doc and make it a supporting doc. (See above for rationale, including that it can be more easily edited if outside of the /TR/WCAG20 Recommendation.)

2. Overview </WAI/intro/wcag20>: Purpose is clear, friendly, directive intro and map to WCAG 2.0 docs.

Note: Encourage all general references to WCAG to point to the Overview doc www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag20 (and only formal references in policies and such to point to /TR/WCAG20).

Changes:

* Edit to be more effective in this purpose. (Action, Shawn)

3. WCAG 2.0 Quick Reference www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/: List of requirements and techniques, customizable to make as short and focused as needed for specific situations. This may evolve into the primary tool/doc that most people use most of the time as the main page to WCAG 2.0 information.

Changes:

* Consider additional customization options, such “[ ] Show Common Failures” to be able to turn them off and shorten the doc.

* Perhaps design this to also replace the Checklist, e.g. by adding:

[ ] Show Techniques

[ ] Include Comment column and checkbox

* Evaluate usability for possible UI improvements.

4. [Checklist </TR/WCAG20/appendixB.html>]: Purpose is quick list for people who already know WCAG 2.0 and want a short list to check off that they’re remembering everything when doing an evaluation, for example. [Other common uses?]

Changes & Rationale:

See under #1 about it being redundant with http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/guidelines.html. The WCAG 1.0 Checklist was very useful as a quick reference and overview of 1.0 guidelines for newbies. This WCAG 2.0 Checklist is not. We already made a Quick Reference, and we might make something for newbies.

I wonder if we want to provide this 2.0 Checklist at all? Perhaps the benefit some people will get from it is not worth the complication of having yet another WCAG 2.0 document? If we do keep it, I think it should be carefully positioned for what it is and what it is not, and not detract from the other documents that might meet most needs better.

5. “Understanding” [or other title]: Purpose is to provide details for people who want to understand the guidelines in depth.

Changes & Rationale:

* Consider changing title. (I think others have provided rationale and suggestions.)

* Move into this document details on Conformance and Baseline.

* Add brief explanations of the Principles.

* Add pointer to Overview doc near front.

* Develop UI that lets people easily get the “atoms” of info that they want at a time, and navigate between atoms here, from Techniques, and other related documents as appropriate.

6. Techniques: Purpose is details for implementing. Developers are the main target audience.

Changes:

* Develop UI that lets people easily get the “atoms” of info that they want at a time, and navigate between atoms here, from Understanding, and other related documents as appropriate.



7. [Application Notes] Purpose is to help developers working on a specific thing, such as images, links, forms, data tables. (Brief description is under http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag20.php#related) Note that I think these should cover just the basics, and point back to “Understanding” & “Techniques” for the more complex issues. 



8. [Web Accessibility Basics] (document not yet defined) Purpose would be for the average Web developer to be able to understand the basics of Web accessibility under WCAG 2.0. An easy-to-understand list of what one needs to do for a simple site with HTML and CSS.

(Acknowledge that this would have to be very carefully and clearly positioned, since it would not cover all the issues.)

9. [Quick Tips] Purpose is something short that touches on the basics to help people get started on accessibility – to fit on a business-card-sized handout. 

10. [About Baselines]: Eliminate this document. Put the pertinent information about baselines in “Understanding”, as there’s no reason to send people to yet another document for this information. The non-pertinent info that’s there now could go in 11 below.

11. [something like Background, or WG Notes, or History, or FAQ, or…]: Purpose is to communicate reasons why things were done, address some concerns or issues, and such. For example, from About Baselines move to here most of the “Background” section and “Why wasn\'t UAAG used as baseline?”.

12. [Transition from WCAG 1.0 to WCAG 2.0] (document not yet defined) Not sure if a single document, or series of documents? 

Changes:

* Move “Comparison of WCAG 1.0 checkpoints to WCAG 2.0” from /TR/WCAG20 appendix to here

* Move why 2.0 Levels different from 1.0 Priorities (currently in WCAG20 Conformance) to here

Received on Friday, 23 June 2006 03:56:18 UTC