- From: <Ehansen7@aol.com>
- Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 13:51:02 EST
- To: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
- Cc: ehansen@ets.org
This memo supersedes an earlier (3/20/99) memo entitled "Revisions to 3/16 Version: Nonreaders, Deaf-Blind, Impacts, etc.", which is available at: http://cgi.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/1999JanMar/0455.html This memo introduces a new revision to the 3/16/99 version of guidelines. It is available through a page at http://etsr.digitalchainsaw.com/wcagpub/ (The address is temporary and the contents at the address may change.) Among other things, the new revision does three things. 1. Underlying Text Representation of the Entire Message of Web Content. My revision attempts to establish the principle that providing an underlying text representation of the entire message of a Web site is a Priority 1 matter. It does this by raising the Priority level of checkpoint 3.4 from 2 to 1. That checkpoint deals with providing "text version of the auditory description and collating it with the text transcriptions (captions) of the primary audio track." This is a Priority 1 checkpoint because violation will make it impossible for individuals who are deaf-blind to access "sound and appearance" information in videos/movies. With this one checkpoint, it seems to me that all major content then has an underlying text representation. (Someone should verify this observation.) My observation regarding comprehensiveness the underlying text represention does not necessarily extend to "auxiliary" content such as titles, frame descriptions, notifications, table summaries, etc.). 2. Nonreaders. My revision states that the document does not target non- readers (regardless of disability). If nonreaders are counted within the groups, then the presence of the nonreaders may cause increases in the priority of at least three checkpoints (16.2 and 8.5). Yet these checkpoints are still not adequate to make Web content accessible to nonreaders. Web content developers who target nonreaders are urged to not limit themselves to this guidelines document. 3. Realtime Nontext Content. The revision adds a checkpoint that begins to establish a standard for accessibility on nontext realtime content such as Web-based audio-conferencing and videoconferencing. The new revision also addresses many other issues that I consider important. Eric G. Hansen Development Scientist Educational Testing Service
Received on Monday, 22 March 1999 13:55:07 UTC