rationale for keeping alt text spec as normative.

The specification 'HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text
alternatives' [1] contains normative authoring requirements because the
HTML5 specification contains normative authoring requirements covering the
same topic [2].

The normativity of the authoring requirements in the HTML5 specification
and what they require is the root of the issue, so if the normativity of
the extension spec is called into question the normativity of the
requirements in HTML5 must also be called into question.

The content of the 2 documents on the provision of text alternatives differ:

* The HTML5 specification contains requirements that contradict the
requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 [3] and the
normative requirements do not have agreement within the accessibility
community.
* The Techniques document does not contain requirements that contradict Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 and the normative requirements do have
agreement within the accessibility community.


[1]http://dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/
[2] http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/the-img-element.html#alt
[3] http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/
-- 
with regards

Steve Faulkner
Technical Director - TPG

www.paciellogroup.com | www.HTML5accessibility.com |
www.twitter.com/stevefaulkner
HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text alternatives -
dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/
Web Accessibility Toolbar - www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html