WCAG 2.0 promoting small font-sizes?

Dear WCAG WG,

Ref:
<http://trace.wisc.edu/bugzilla_wcag/issuereports/issue_ind.php?id=2443>

While I'm not the original submitter of this comment, I've been involved 
in several discussions regarding this provision. This includes talking 
with the original submitter as well as with other developers. I ask you 
to consider my input as additional clarification to the discussion.

While I understand that it would be extremely difficult to define a base 
font size for Web sites, the currently proposed response of the Working 
Group seems to over-simplify the issue. More specifically, the statement 
"people who really need larger print would use the enlarger features 
built into all the major operating systems" seems to focus too strongly 
on people with significant vision impairments. There is however a large 
group of people with less severe vision loss who could be potentially 
disadvantaged (rather than helped) by this provision.

Part of the problem is that there is a growing trend to use smaller font 
sizes on Web sites (even 8pt is not that uncommon anymore). WCAG 2.0 may 
seem to promote this trend since it would be easier for Web sites with 
smaller font sizes to conform with this SC than for Web sites that use 
larger fonts. At the same time, there is a large population of users who 
need to enlarge the text just slightly in order to be able to read it, 
but who will then potentially need to compensate for the small font size 
in addition. Examples of such Web users could include elderly citizens 
who are observing gradual vision degradation.

Sadly I don't have a specific suggestion, and am not (directly) arguing 
for a minimum font size (for sure not in point measurement). However, I 
do want to raise this as a serious issue, potentially larger than the WG 
may be acknowledging. I hope that the WG could have some more discussion 
on this issue and provide further rationale for it's decision.


Regards,
   Shadi


-- 
Shadi Abou-Zahra - http://www.w3.org/People/shadi/ |
   WAI International Program Office Activity Lead   |
  W3C Evaluation & Repair Tools Working Group Chair |

Received on Tuesday, 8 April 2008 08:32:23 UTC