Re: Highlights from April 29th

Good edits! But I have a question about the first item under Level 2
success criteria. It reads as follows:

 

<begin current>

1. Increase accessibility either through additional support for user
agent based accessibility or through content and/or presentation that
provides direct accessibility without requiring intervention by user

agents or assistive technology; 

</end current>

 

I don't think we can talk about "direct accessibility" that doesn't
require "intervention by user agents." It's my understanding that all
Web content has to be rendered by some user agent (either some
mainstream browser or something specially designed to meet the needs of
a particular gorup of users).

If I remember right, one important goal here was to encourage people to
provide content and use presentation techniques that take full advantage
of the functionality of mainstream user agents such as desktop browsers,
PDAs, Web phones, etc., , thereby enhancing accessibility for users who
don't have specialized assistive technologies . We *also* want to
encourage people to do even more to take advantage of what assistive
technologies can do.

 
Here's a proposal that addresses the first point; it comes at the second
point-- about assistive technology-- a little indirectly.
 

<begin proposed>

Level 2 success criteria: 

1.    enhance accessibility for people who rely on widely available
products such as desktop browsers, PDA's, Web-enabled cell phones, etc;

2.    encourage use of content and/or presentation techniques that do
not require assistive technology;

3.    do not interfere with assistive technology

</end proposed>

Thanks.
John


"Good design is accessible design." 
Please note our new name and URL!
John Slatin, Ph.D.
Director, Accessibility Institute
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.utexas.edu/research/accessibility/
<http://www.utexas.edu/research/accessibility/>