General comments on checklist

Phill has the following 3 "general comments" on checkpoints from the 16
March working draft.  The examples are listed in order as listed in the
"checklist" view of the checkpoints :

1. start all checkpoints consistently with a verb, for example:
     change 8.3 For pages that use style sheets or presentation markup,
ensure that the content of each page is organized logically.
     to 8.3 Ensure that the content is organized properly, including
content that uses style sheets, presentation markup, applets, or
programmatic objects. [ also see Phill's other comment on 8.3]
     change 9.1 Until user agents provide the ability to stop the refresh,
do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages.
     to 9.1 Do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages until user
agents provide the ability to stop the refresh.
     change 7.1 For data tables, identify headers for rows and columns.
     to 7.1 Identify headers for rows and columns of data in tables.
     change 7.2 For data tables that have more than one row and/or more
than one column of header cells, use markup to associate data cells and
header cells.
     to 7.2 Use markup to associate data cells and header cells for tables
that have more than one row and/or more than one column of header cells.
     change 8.2 For scripts that present important information or
functionality, provide an equivalent. (Refer to the definition of
equivalent.)
     to 8.2 Provide equivalent (refer to the definition of equivalent)
information or functionality of scripts.

     etc. for 1.3, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, and 13.4 priority 1 checkpoints

2. limit all checkpoints to the "what" and not the "why, for example,
review those checkpoints that are more than 2 lines long:
     change 1.7 Provide redundant text links for each active region of an
image map. [Priority 1 - if server-side image maps are used, Priority 2 -
if client-side image maps are used. Content developers will not need to
provide redundant text links for client-side image maps once most user
agents render text equivalents for the map links.]
     to 1.7 Provide redundant text links for each active region of an image
map. [Priority 1 - for server-side image maps, Priority 2 - for client-side
image maps] until most user agents render text equivalents.
     change 13.4 If, after best efforts, you cannot avoid using a non-W3C
technology or any W3C technology in an accessible way, provide a link to an
alternative page that uses W3C technologies, is accessible, has equivalent
information, and is updated as often as the inaccessible (original) page.
     to 13.4 Provide a link to an alternative page that uses W3C
technologies, is accessible, has equivalent information, and is updated as
often as the inaccessible (original) page if, after best efforts, you
cannot avoid using a non-W3C technology or any W3C technology in an
inaccessible way.

3. use the same terms in all checkpoints, for example, in the Priority 1
checkpoints:
     change: "all information conveyed", "document's text", "content of
each page", "the screen", "the site's content", dynamic "content",
"information", "the page", etc.
     to: "the content",  for example
     4.1 Ensure that the contents conveyed with color  is also ...
     6.1 Clearly identify changes in the natural language of the contents.
     8.3 Ensure that the contents is organized...
     9.2 Avoid any blinking or updating of the content that causes flicker.
     16.1 Use language that is clear and simple, yet appropriate for the
content.
     Note: eliminating the word "page" or "site" also allows the checkpoint
to be flexibly applied on a page by page basis or on a site basis.





Regards,
Phill Jenkins     (678-4517 tieline)  1-512-838-4517
Accessibility Program Manager
IBM Special Needs  Fax:  1-512-838-9367
11501 Burnet Rd    pjenkins@us.ibm.com
Austin TX 78758    http://www.ibm.com/sns

Received on Saturday, 20 March 1999 04:21:17 UTC