- From: Jason White <jasonw@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au>
- Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 10:25:43 +1000 (AEST)
- To: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
Without using style sheets, and without confusing the distinction between structure and presentation, there are few means available in current HTML technology by which to control layout and presentation while maintaining correct document structure. Visual presentation is, however, important; and this is why style sheets should be used. The guidelines are careful to require that only style language features supported by user agents be employed. Support for CSS has existed in major browsers for at least the past two years, and though it is inconsistent, it is steadily improving. I would strongly oppose any attempt to remove or otherwise erode the requirement specified in checkpoint 3.3, due to the importance of style sheets as the only technology which supports rich visual (or auditory) presentation, with retention of the document's logical structure and markup semantics. The simplest solution to the practical problem would be to require existing web sites to be repaired up to level A conformance, whereas new web sites (or existing web sites when their content is substantially updated) must achieve double-A conformance. This is an issue that should be addressed to policy developers; the guidelines must conform to their own goals and definitions, and should not be unduly influenced by whatever problems may arise for developers if government policies are formulated which do not adequately address the issue of compliance costs.
Received on Monday, 12 July 1999 20:25:50 UTC