Re: Proposed change to checkpoint 5.3

I would like to see a stronger statement of Priority 1 for proper use of TD
and TH.  Based on the current Web Content guidelines this is really the
only information currently available to user agents for determining whether
a table is being used for layout or tabular data.  Without this information
user agents need to play a guessing game on what a table is being used for.
Jon



At 11:13 AM 4/17/99 +1000, Jason White wrote:
>I concur with Charles' proposal, with the following reservations:
>
>1. The non-use of TH to convey presentational effects should have a
>priority 2 rating, as it provides a means whereby user agents can reliably
>distinguish data tables from layout tables, and also encourages the proper
>use of structural markup.
>
>2. I would prefer the condition that tables be used for layout only until
>style sheet positioning is adequately supported, to be explicitly stated
>in the checkpoint, thus making it time dependent.
>
>Eric's proposal is to similar effect. I would emphasize however that the
>inclusion of proper structural markup is a priority 2 requirement. The
>inability to determine the structure of a document (headings, lists,
>paragraphs, etc.) is a major access barrier, as it means that the said
>structure will be evident in a visual setting (due to the presentational
>markup comprised by the layout tables) but but not in an auditory or
>braille setting; in this fundamentally undermines the concept of equal
>access to the document. Access (at more than the minimum threshhold level
>established by the "A" rating) involves access not only to the text, but
>also to the structural and semantic distinctions communicated by the
>formatting. Thus, the structural markup is needed, at a priority 2 level,
>to ensure that appropriate auditory/braille/handheld-device formatting can
>be provided by the user agent, with the aid, where possible, of style
>sheets.
> 
Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology
Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
1207 S. Oak Street
Champaign, IL 61820

Voice: 217-244-5870
Fax: 217-333-0248
E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu
WWW:	http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund
	http://www.als.uiuc.edu/InfoTechAccess

Received on Monday, 19 April 1999 12:01:32 UTC