- From: John M Slatin <john_slatin@austin.utexas.edu>
- Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 16:38:39 -0500
- To: "Michael Cooper" <michaelc@watchfire.com>, "WAI GL (E-mail)" <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
I propose the following as an alternative to Michael's proposal: 1. All <table> elements must have a valid summary attribute. 2. Tables used for layout only should have a null summary (summar=""). 3. Data tables should have a summary attribute that provides meaningful information about the table. The summary attribute may be empty when information that blind users need to negotiate the table exists in onscreen text, for example in a <caption> element or a brief informative note. Rationale 1. Simplicity: it is easier for developers to remember that they have to provide a summary attribute if they have to do it for every table. (Authoring tools can eventually be considerable help here...) 2. Consistency: as I've said previously, I think of the summary as "alt text for tables." Since HTML requires an alt attribute for every <img> element, consistency would require a summary attribute for every <table> element. Screen readers have already begun to support the null summary. 3. Testability. If the summary is a required attribute, testing tools can easily be set to look for it; empty summary attributes for tables that otherwise satisfy the tool's heuristics for identifying data tables could then be flagged for user check, etc. John John Slatin, Ph.D. Director, Institute for Technology & Learning University of Texas at Austin FAC 248C 1 University Station G9600 Austin, TX 78712 ph 512-495-4288, f 512-495-4524 email jslatin@mail.utexas.edu web http://www.ital.utexas.edu -----Original Message----- From: Michael Cooper [mailto:michaelc@watchfire.com] Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 1:06 pm To: WAI GL (E-mail) Subject: [#293] Summary for tables The old summary bugaboo. We need to resolve this in order to close the table discussions. What should requirements be for "summary" attribute on data and layout tables? Possible requirements are don't provide, provide null, provide a genuine summary, or do whatever seems best for the situation. As a starting proposal I suggest that layout tables be required to have no summary, and data tables be required to have a non-null summary. This is by no means generally accepted and needs discussion. Michael Michael Cooper Accessibility Project Manager Watchfire 1 Hines Rd Kanata, ON K2K 3C7 Canada +1 613 599 3888 x4019 http://bobby.watchfire.com/
Received on Friday, 6 June 2003 17:38:40 UTC