[Bug 13444] New: introduction to semantics does not convey their importance to people with disabilities/users of AT, nor the negative impact incorrect or insufficient semantics can have on the user experience

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=13444

           Summary: introduction to semantics does not convey their
                    importance to people with disabilities/users of AT,
                    nor the negative impact incorrect or insufficient
                    semantics can have on the user experience
           Product: HTML WG
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: PC
               URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/2011/WD-html5-20110525/elements.h
                    tml#elements
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Keywords: a11y, a11ytf
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: HTML5 spec (editor: Ian Hickson)
        AssignedTo: ian@hixie.ch
        ReportedBy: joshue.oconnor@cfit.ie
         QAContact: public-html-bugzilla@w3.org
                CC: mike@w3.org, public-html-wg-issue-tracking@w3.org,
                    public-html@w3.org, public-html-a11y@w3.org


While this section of the spec [3.2 Elements & 3.2.1 Semantics] introduces the
use of semantics and how they relate to conformance, the examples given don’t
convey the negative impact incorrect or insufficient semantics can have on the
user experience, in particular for users of Assistive Technology. 

I suggest the following or similar spec text be added to the ‘Elements’ section
to illustrate these issues and to provide a deeper sense of context and purpose
behind the need to create conformant content. 

This text could go in either ‘3.2.1 Semantics’ or in the following section
‘3.2.2 Elements in the DOM’. [1]

Draft Spec text 

<sample spec text>

"At all stages, in a dynamically generated or altered document the semantic
integrity of the document snapshot must be maintained at each step in the
document mutation – in particular where the document is in a ‘steady’ state
(after a user interaction for example). These rules may be relaxed to some
degree during transitional steps involve background transition or operations
with other APIs but, if the document is to be a conformant HTML5 doc, then
suitable elements/attributes from this spec must be used in a way that supports
the documents integrity, the UA parsing requirements and above all the user
experience as this can impact on the usability and accessibility of the
content. 

Maintaining this integrity will assist user agents such as Assistive
Technologies understand and successfully interact with the DOM or other user
agent structures, [ref]. This means that a dynamic widget which is semantically
structured to be accessible on a page load, will when responding to user
interaction/input have to maintain its semantic structure as scripting or other
dynamic events are applied and the widget content/structure is altered, in
order to be considered conforming html. 

This example is applicable to processes such as a checking out cart, or in
mashup type applications and semantic integrity will help to maintain the
interoperability of application/document structures as well as facilitate a
more consistent user experience. ** 
Examples of where this kind of mutation or dynamically altered content can
impact on the user can be found in WCAG." 
</sample spec text>

 Related WCAG SC, Fails etc 
**SC 2.4.5: note wcag reference to dynamic processes [2]
F76: Failure of Success Criterion 3.2.2 due to providing instruction material
about the change of context by change of setting in a user interface element at
a location that users may bypass(context change in an interface) [3]
G13: Describing what will happen before a change to a form control that causes
a change of context to occur is made. [4]


[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2011/WD-html5-20110525/elements.html#elements
[2]
http://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/navigation-mechanisms-mult-loc.html
[3] http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20-TECHS/F76.html
[4] http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/G13

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Received on Friday, 29 July 2011 05:09:34 UTC