- From: Mike Paciello <paciello@yuri.org>
- Date: Tue, 09 Jun 1998 08:29:19 -0400
- To: Liam Quinn <liam@htmlhelp.com>, dd@w3.org
- Cc: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org, w3c-wai-ua@w3.org
Liam: MP: I'm sorry, I shouldn't be interrupting this conversation...but again, I really think that too many assumptions regarding user needs are implied when statements like, "many users (i.e., me) would prefer" are made. It's true that accessibility is not an exclusive term to people with disabilities. But it's also true that unless someone actually does usability studies around web content, its creation, retrievable and delivery mechanisms, no one can honestly assume what a user really needs. - Mike >which forces the user to recognize "The Web Design Group." as an object >with a visual description. Many users (i.e., me) would prefer when >browsing non-visually to be given a completely non-visual page. The notion >of some text actually being an image is an unnecessary distraction for >these users. > >>> Different users may want some or all of this information, but we should not >>> force it on everyone. The non-visual user who treats the Web as a >>> non-visual medium would probably prefer simply the alternative text. We >>> need LONGDESC on OBJECT to allow for this level of granularity. >> >>To get more specific, we could also advocate using >> >><OBJECT title="Web Design Group Logo" data=wdg.gif> >><PARAM name="longdesc" value="wdg.htm"> >> The Web Design Group >></OBJECT> >> >>But I don't think we need a new attribute on OBJECT. > >I think the universal applicability of a long description would make >LONGDESC as useful on OBJECT as some of its other attributes like TYPE or >WIDTH, which could also be specified using the PARAM element. However, I >do like the way that your use of PARAM allows the user to choose exactly >how he or she wants to deal with objects, without forcing the concept of a >visual page on the user. Using PARAM for the long description would be a >great interim solution, or a good second-best if the idea of LONGDESC on >OBJECT is rejected. > >-- >Liam Quinn > > > ------------------------- Michael G. Paciello Executive Director, E-Mail: mailto:paciello@yuri.org Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation Tel: +1 603 598 9544 URL: http://www.yuri.org/ FAX: +1 603 598 2839 Promoting Accessibility Awareness! Please Make a Tax-Deductible Donation: http://www.yuri.org/donate.html Charitable Registration Number (8867 - 3639 - RR0001)
Received on Tuesday, 9 June 1998 08:28:48 UTC