Re: Web Content Accessiblity Guidelines

Hi Nancy... my responses are preceded with "CPL::"

At 15/06/99 07:49 PM , Nancy Delaney wrote:
>Hi, I am a student in Kin Bartlett's class at HTML Writer's Guild.  I
>took the tour of your accessibility project. I am using a Gateway
>computer with Windows 98 installed and IE5 as a browser. I found that I
>could not scroll on any of the pages. The text became blurred by
>repeating itself downward as I scrolled, therefore, I could only access
>the tops of the pages. This meant I had to keep using the back button to
>try to get to the previous page and then go back to the current page in
>order to continue to use the arrows.

CPL:: I think I know what you are describing,  but I don't know why it
happens.  I have seen this PPP (pretty puzzling problem) occur in Internet
Explorer 4.01, and now you have reported it in IE5.  For some reason IE has
a screen refresh problem in conjunction with my external style sheet (I
don't know if it has a problem with anybody else's yet... let me know!).
It is almost as if the content html and the external style sheet don't
synchronize after a scroll event (and I believe it only happens on-line -
not running off a hard disk -- so maybe it is a bandwidth problem?).  I
have just gotten into the habit using Page Up/Down instead of scrolling
line by line, then I hit the F5-key (refresh) or the Reload Page icon in IE
when the page gets messed up.  IE has the good grace to reload/refresh the
page at the current location (rather than starting at the top of the page)
so the picture "magically" clears for me and I can continue reading.  Let
me know if this works for you.  As for the cause of the problem... if
anybody from Microsoft is reading this,  we would be happy to hear a
solution (or at least an explanation).

>
>Overall, I think it is a good learning tool. I think you have done a
>good job in dividing up the topics and explaining how they should be
>applied. There are some topics that are rather weak. The portion on some
>of the newer tags that have been created need more explanation. I think
>you posted a message stating that you wanted more information on those
>topics. My opinion is that this tool could not be used alone if the user
>has no prior knowledge of HTML. I think it's a good tool to supplement
>an HTML class such as the one Kin is running at the current time. I plan
>to return to the site whenever I have a question about how I should be
>writing code or what I can do to avoid old practices such as using
>tables for layout that would include old browsers.

CPL:: Thanks Nancy... I don't think I said anywhere that this was meant to
teach basic HTML.  Perhaps I should add a note to that effect in the
introduction, just to ensure that people don't get the wrong idea.  The
curriculum is really aimed at people who have some knowledge of HTML who
want to understand how to use HTML accessibly.  And,  yes, some parts are
still weak.  I am still hoping that experts in those areas will volunteer
some better examples. 

>
>The layout of the pages is very nice. The font is large and easy to
>read. I had no problems reading, but it isn't something that a person
>can read at one sitting. I think it would advantageous to use it as a
>trouble shooting tool. Something a student or author can return to from
>time to time as they code their pages.

CPL:: I agree that it is a "big" effort to plow through the entire
curriculum, but I would hope that, in "real life", users bite off pieces
they can chew, and work at their own pace.  If your instructor (Kynn) is
such a slave driver <grin> that he is making you try do it in one
afternoon... send him down to the office here and I'll have a talk with him
<bigger grin>.

>
>All, in all, this is a good project. Keep up the good work! and thanks
>for your efforts.
>

CPL:: And Geoff and I appreciate your taking the time to comment.

Regards,
Chuck



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Received on Tuesday, 15 June 1999 22:50:19 UTC