[WCAG 1.0 Errata: Issue #14] Checkpoint 10.2

Hello,

This is the first in a series of proposals to address errata in WCAG 
1.0.  We hope to publish a revised version of WCAG 1.0 to make normative 
changes to the Recommendation as described in Section 7.6 Modifying a W3C 
Recommendation of the W3C Process document [1].  "Tables of WCAG 1.0 
Errata" [2]  lists errata that should be considered in a possible revision 
of WCAG 1.0 and tracks WCAG WG  decisions and discussions of those errata.

This email contains information for Issue #14 [3] from "Tables of WCAG 1.0 
Errata" and is divided into the following sections: the current wording of 
the checkpoint, background information and possible proposals. Please 
choose one of the proposals and explain your choice.


Current wording of WCAG 1.0 Checkpoint 10.2:

10.2 Until user agents support explicit associations between labels and 
form controls, for all form controls with implicitly associated labels, 
ensure that the label is properly positioned.  [Priority 2] The label must 
immediately precede its control on the same line (allowing more than one 
control/label per line) or be in the line preceding the control (with only 
one label and one control per line). Refer also to checkpoint 12.4.


Background information:

1. Disclaimer: I have gathered information from Web sites who have 
published test results of various browsers and screen readers.  Some of the 
information may be out of date or incomplete.  I have not done any tests 
myself nor contacted the vendors or developers and therefore can not 
confirm the results.   I have not looked for information for *all* 
available user agents.  I do not know if these results apply to the 
localized versions of the applications. Before publishing information on 
"User Agent Support for Accessibility" [9] we will confirm that this 
information is correct and gather missing information where possible (by 
contacting vendors, I18N WG, performing tests where needed, etc.). Please 
correct or contribute to this list.

 From what I found, it looks like the label element (and for attribute) is 
supported by Mozilla 0.9 and up, Netscape 6 and up, Internet Explorer 4 and 
up, and Opera 7.0  and up.  [4, 5, 6] Platforms are not indicated in the 
information that I found, but I assume Windows for all.  Safari does not 
support the label element [7, and confirmed via discussion with user of 
Safari].  html:label/for is supported by Window Eyes 4.2 (and up?), JAWS 
3.5 and up, Home Page Reader 3.02 [10]  ( Hal 5.0 and  Outspoken 3.0 not 
included in study. additional info about Jaws at [11, 12]) .  In one study, 
HAL 3.03 voiced labels when used with Opera 3.6 but not with Internet 
Explorer 5 or Netscape Navigator 4.8 [13]. iCab 2.5.3 seems to have partial 
support [14] (latest version is 2.9.7).

I did not look for information about: Simply Web 2000, Sensus, 
BrookesTalk,  EscoTalk, MultiWeb, NetOrator, Premo Web Talkster [15] or any 
text-based browsers [16].   There are many other browsers that I did not 
investigate [17].

2. Entry #6 in Errata in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines [8]: The note 
for checkpoint 10.2 should be reworded to say, "A label for a text area, a 
text input control or group of controls (e.g., a group of checkboxes) must 
immediately precede its control (or group of controls) on the same line (if 
there is only one control or group) or be in the line preceding the control 
(or group of controls). Refer also to checkpoint 12.4."


Possible proposals (please choose one and explain your choice):

1. The checkpoint is still required for Level AA conformance Take the 
following actions:
a. Incorporate the proposed clarification [8],
b. update "User Agent Support for Accessibility" [9] with the support 
information from above and say, "Although many user agents support the 
html:label element, the WCAG WG feels that the until user agents clause is 
not met and that this checkpoint is required to achieve Level AA conformance."

2. Deprecate the checkpoint
Take the following actions:
a. Incorporate the proposed clarification [8] (even if the checkpoint is 
deprecated, incorporating the clarification tidies it up),
b. update "User Agent Support for Accessibility" [9] with the support 
information from above and say, "Although some user agents do not support 
the label element, the WCAG WG feels that support is widespread enough that 
this checkpoint is no longer required to achieve Level AA conformance."
c. label checkpoint 10.2 as deprecated in a revised WCAG 1.0.  (explain 
elsewhere that deprecated checkpoints are no longer required for conformance).

3. Propose a 3rd alternative.

Best,
--wendy

[1] <http://www.w3.org/2003/06/Process-20030618/tr.html#rec-modify>
[2] <http://www.w3.org/2003/12/wcag10-errata-table.html>
[3] <http://www.w3.org/2003/12/wcag10-errata-table.html#L2077>
[4] <http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/html/supportkey/l.htm>
[5] <http://devedge.netscape.com/library/xref/2001/html-element/>
[6] 
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/dhtml/reference/objects/label.asp>
[7] <http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum21/6908.htm>
[8] <http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WAI-WEBCONTENT-ERRATA.html#entry-6>
[9] <http://www.w3.org/WAI/Resources/WAI-UA-Support>
[10] <http://www.camo.qc.ca/ntic/csun2002en.htm#form>
[11] 
<http://www.freedomscientific.com/HTML_challenge/files/forms_challenge.html>
[12] <http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/2001AprJun/0306.html>
[13] <http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/1999JulSep/0301.html>
[14] <http://www.robinlionheart.com/stds/html4/results.xhtml>
[15] 
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Software/Internet/Clients/WWW/Browsers/Accessibility/?tc=1> 

[16] 
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Software/Internet/Clients/WWW/Browsers/Text-Based/> 

[17] 
<http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Software/Internet/Clients/WWW/Browsers/>

-- 
wendy a chisholm
world wide web consortium
web accessibility initiative
http://www.w3.org/WAI/
/--

Received on Wednesday, 14 January 2004 13:40:31 UTC