Merging sections 2 and 3

This was proposed by Ian at the last face to face, and has been discussed
occasionally since. I am in favour of it, and wish to discuss it at the face
to face meeting.

The arguments I see in favour are:

1. It makes the document clearer - there are ten guidelines about making
tools accessible, and checkpoints which (must / should / may) be implemented
in order to follow the guidelines. This is a good argument, although not in
itself compelling.

2. There are several guidelines where the checkpoints could apply in both
sections. In particular the help and documentation (currently 2.7), the
configuration of the tool (part of the current 2.6), and to a lesser extent
section 2.4, a crossover of techniques in 3.2 and 2.3, and the fact that
implementing 3.3 as part of the document produced will generally improve the
documents (this follows from Jason White's comments - I'll expand in a
separate email). Merging the sections would allow us to take advantage of
these crossovers rather than having to very carefully define terms to make it
clear which side we are on in each case. This seems a good argument to me.

3. Seperating the sections can give the impression that there are two
completely separate parts to accessibility - disabled people being enabled
to read the web, and then actually enabling them to help make it. This runs
counter to the idea that a communications medium only works when people can
use it to communicate, and that in a good medium disability should not be a
barrier, instead reinforcing the perspective that accessibility is an option
that can be added for marketing purposes, or out of special charity. This is
substantially a philosophical issue, but I find it a very strong argument to
merge the sections.

thoughts?

Charles McCN

--Charles McCathieNevile            mailto:charles@w3.org
phone: +1 617 258 0992   http://www.w3.org/People/Charles
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative    http://www.w3.org/WAI
MIT/LCS  -  545 Technology sq., Cambridge MA, 02139,  USA

Received on Thursday, 6 May 1999 14:01:40 UTC