- From: Gregg Vanderheiden via Post Office <po@trace.wisc.edu>
- Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 18:03:39 -0600
- To: "'GL - WAI Guidelines WG'" <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
Here is a short form listing of changes made to the document most recently as well as new issues which are still open or which we have questions on. Gregg and Wendy Issue 1 - image map example (Jason White 19980124) The guidelines provide an example of an image map in which the coordinates of the active regions are given in anchor elements, as permitted by HTML 4.0. This version of HTML also allows block-level content to be included in MAP. The example could be enriched by providing a more detailed description of the library within the MAP element, such as would appear from the image map (for example, a brief synopsis of the layout of certain facilities). (Editors 19980202): Excellent suggestion. Could you draft something? Issue 2 - alternative pages and media types (from Jason White 19980124) I would emphasise that alternative pages should be avoided wherever possible. As Daniel has correctly stated on more than one occasion, the goal of the WAI is for there to be a single document which can be rendered in different media with equal success. In relation to the technical side of this proposal, the HTML 4.0 specification (at 6.13) defines a media type of "aural" for speech synthesizers, rather than "speech" as is incorrectly claimed in the guidelines. Also, to encompass all types of non-graphical devices, the MEDIA value should read: media="aural, braille, tty". (editors 19980202): Moved the alternative page stuff to a section called "If all else fails..." replaced all references to the "speech" media type with aural, and we included handheld and tv in the list of media types. Issue 3 - alt-text There have been several comments on providing more specific guidelines about the use of alt-text. We have deferred action on these suggestions until consensus is reached on these issues. A discussion thread will be posted in the near future to begin this process. This discussion will include the title element on anchors (for images used as links). Issue 4 - style sheets (Daniel Dardailler 19980129) both style sheet recommendations should remain required. (Editors 19980202): Done. Issue 5 - noframes (Daniel Dardailler 19980129): Noframe is an interim solution. A browser issue. (Editors 19980202): How will browsers render a "noframes" version without <noframe>? Even if browsers are able to effectively navigate between frames, it seems there will be instances where people would prefer a "noframes" version. For example, users of small displays. Issue 6 - classifying testing tips (Daniel Dardailler 19980129) tips should be classified new and iterim (just like recommendations). (Editors 19980202): Most all of the tips are not new or interim so they would have no label on them (like the strategies dont). I think there is only one that is interim and it says that it is just for todays browsers. Do you see other tips that need to be labeled? Issue 7 - providing e-mail address, phone and fax numbers (Daniel Dardailler 19980129) these are interim solutions (Editors 19980202): yep. Done. noted that this is so, as well as, " Include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas." Issue 8 - definition of "Required" (Geoff Freed 19980129) stronger language is needed (Editors 19980202) Done. "Required, otherwise it will be impossible for one or more groups of users to understand the page." "One or more groups of users" is a link to the intro of the central reference doc. Issue 9 - definitions in audio/video (Geoff Freed 19980129) definitions needed for transcript, caption, and audio description. Also don't use transcript and caption interchangebly. (Editors 19980202) done. Issue 10 - links read out of context (Geoff Freed 19980129) needs to be required (Editors 19980202) Doesn't meet the definition of required. We would need to change the definition to include things that are helpful. That would weaken the required label but allow us to put more stuff in it. We may not have a justification for using the work required though if we did. You thoughts? Issue 11 - printable character between links in a list (Geoff Freed 19980129) upgrade to required (Editors 19980202) doesn't meet the definition of required. (see issue 10) Issue 12 - audience several people wanted the audience better defined in the intro to the document. The following abstract was added at the beginning of the document: This document is a list of markup guidelines that HTML authors should follow in order to make their pages more accessible. Following the list of guidelines is a checklist that authors and Web masters should use to verify page accessibility. Tools that generate documents in HTML (authoring tools, file conversion packages or other products) should produce documents that follow these guidelines. This document is part of a series of accessibility documents published by the Web Accessibility Initiative. Issue 13 - links to transcripts (Daniel Dardailler 19980130) need examples (Editors 19980202): good idea, ran out of time for this draft. in process. Please send examples if you have them. Issue 14 - use of style sheets in presentaiton of ratings and classifications (Daniel Dardailler 19980130) suggest use SS to get rid of brackets when style sheets loaded (will display when SS not loaded). also, but borders around new and interim, and place on own lines. (Editors 19980202): borders do not seem to be supported for MSIE 4.0. The loss of the brackets around "required" and "recommended" made the characters difficult to read (the white characters bled into the white background). We are continuing to look at ways to do this better that work on the different browsers (both for viewing and for printing). It is not easy to find things that work. Suggestions always welcome. Issue 15 - navbars (Al Gilman 19980130) while we need to wait to see what user agents do, what I might like to see here is a some sort of a caution, with a hyperlink to wherever the "too many introductory links" problem is discussed. This is an area where the technology doesn't yet offer a universal solution, so an unqualified "Do this:" is misleading. (Jason White 19980201) Guidelines should say something about making use of the "div" element for navbars. Or use the LINK element in head as a substitute for a navigation bar in the body of the document (which would require some discussion with the UI group on how and when this gets rendered). (Editors 19980202) great ideas. we ran out of time on this release, i.e. there is no cautionary note to link to at this time - that we're aware of... and we need to discuss other possibilities this further. Do you have suggested wording? Issue 16 - class, code and pre to markup code (and indicate what kind of code) (Editors 19980202): interesting possibilities here that should be discussed further. Gregg and Wendy -- ------------------------------ Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D. Professor - Human Factors Dept of Ind. Engr. - U of Wis. Director - Trace R & D Center gv@trace.wisc.edu http://trace.wisc.edu FAX 608/262-8848 For a list of our listserves send "lists" to listproc@trace.wisc.edu
Received on Monday, 2 February 1998 19:07:00 UTC