Re: Step 1.e: Define the Techniques to be used

Hi Alistair,

Your answer does not address the problems I listed.

Regarding your question: We use a web-based application, BITV-Test,  
which is based on 50 publicly documented checkpoints which reference  
techniques, but consolidate the often similar tests in techniques to  
achieve an efficient testing workflow.

The application itself then has a page per checkpoint where you can  
record your ratings and any comments you have for all the pages in the  
sample.

Unfortunately the application is in German but this may give you an  
idea of one checkpoint description (one of the longest):
http://testen.bitvtest.de/index.php?a=di&iid=12&s=n
(This is the checkpoint for checking whether linked images have  
adequate alternative text.)

Regards,
Detlev




On 10 May 2012, at 11:45, Alistair Garrison wrote:

> Hi Detlev,
>
> If you don't know what techniques have been followed, or are not  
> interested to know, what are you actually evaluating against?
>
> Can I just check - do you evaluate against a checklist for WCAG 2.0  
> which you have developed? or is it something else?
>
> All the best
>
> Alistair
>
> On 10 May 2012, at 11:42, Detlev Fischer wrote:
>
>> Hi Alistir,
>>
>> If a commissioner says: I have used this new technique for, say,  
>> skipping blocks, or displaying lightboxes, it certainly makes sense  
>> to report back on the success of that particular technique.
>>
>> However, I see several problems making this step mandatory:
>>
>> * In some cases, evaluators will have no access to the authors of  
>> the site under test
>>
>> * Where do you stop? There are hundreds of techniques. Which ones  
>> should be defined?
>>
>> * Many (most) implementations are similar to the bare-bones WCAG  
>> techniques, but rarely exactly the same. Mapping adapted techniques  
>> to WCAG Techniques reliably will be tricky.
>>
>> * Advanced script-based techniques are very difficult to check. We  
>> can look at the page and check whether, say, a dynamically inserted  
>> element receives keyboard focus or is hidden automatically once the  
>> kb focus leaves it. But do we really need to dive into the script  
>> to see how this has been implemented? (maybe this is not what you  
>> meant)
>>
>> I think it may be useful to tick off techniques if it is obvious  
>> that they have been used (successfully or unsuccessfully), and  
>> especially, tick off failures when they clearly apply (because this  
>> proves that a SC has not been met in all cases, without disclaimer  
>> that some other technique might have been used). HOWEVER,  
>> identifying ALL techniques used during an evaluation seems a high  
>> burden. I can"t quite see the benefit.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Detlev
>>
>> On 10 May 2012, at 10:48, Alistair Garrison wrote:
>>
>>> Dear All,
>>>
>>> "Step 1.e: Define the Techniques to be used" - could we consider  
>>> making this step non-optional?
>>>
>>> The first reason being that we really need to check their  
>>> implementation of the techniques (W3C, their own code of best  
>>> practice or whatever) they say they use.
>>>
>>> For example:
>>>
>>> - Case 1) If they have done something by using technique A, and we  
>>> evaluate using technique B there could be an issue (they might  
>>> fail B);
>>> - Case 2) If they have done something by using technique A, and we  
>>> evaluate using technique A and B there still could be an issue  
>>> (they might fail B);
>>> - Case 3) If they have done something by using technique A, and we  
>>> evaluate using technique A - it seems to work.
>>>
>>> The second reason being that testing seems only to be really  
>>> replicable if we know what the techniques were they said they  
>>> implemented - otherwise, two different teams could easily get two  
>>> different results based on the cases above.
>>>
>>> I would be interested to hear your thoughts.
>>>
>>> Very best regards
>>>
>>> Alistair
>>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Detlev Fischer
>> testkreis - das Accessibility-Team von feld.wald.wiese
>> c/o feld.wald.wiese
>> Borselstraße 3-7 (im Hof)
>> 22765 Hamburg
>>
>> Tel   +49 (0)40 439 10 68-3
>> Mobil +49 (0)1577 170 73 84
>> Fax   +49 (0)40 439 10 68-5
>>
>> http://www.testkreis.de
>> Beratung, Tests und Schulungen für barrierefreie Websites
>>
>>
>>
>

-- 
Detlev Fischer
testkreis - das Accessibility-Team von feld.wald.wiese
c/o feld.wald.wiese
Borselstraße 3-7 (im Hof)
22765 Hamburg

Tel   +49 (0)40 439 10 68-3
Mobil +49 (0)1577 170 73 84
Fax   +49 (0)40 439 10 68-5

http://www.testkreis.de
Beratung, Tests und Schulungen für barrierefreie Websites

Received on Thursday, 10 May 2012 10:07:27 UTC