RE: [TECH] What is the WCAG stance on blinking?

blinking is also distracting, making it hard for people with attention
disabilities to finish the task at hand.

If the user is tiring to do their tax form online, or is doing an online
math test, then continues bilking and distraction will make it less
likely that they will finish.

On the  other hand: Sometimes that is ok or even good. They may not
finish the task of reading the football scores and will start looking at
an interesting science page. Either way, a well designed learning site,
that understands the issues, can use blinking to keep children on the
site for longer, without distracting them where it is counterproductive.


This is , unfortunately , a good case for the term "avoid" instead of
"don't use" .
Or at least always provide a site (not page) default for  no blinking.

But then what about distracting animations, popup windows, background
noise?


keep well
L


> -----Original Message-----
> From: w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org 
> [mailto:w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Roberto Scano 
> (IWA/HWG)
> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 10:11 PM
> To: Becky_Gibson@notesdev.ibm.com; w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
> Subject: RE: [TECH] What is the WCAG stance on blinking?
> 
> 
> 
> Blink could be done by css, but what about to disabled people 
> different than blind people?
> 
> ----- Messaggio originale -----
>     Da: "Becky_Gibson@notesdev.ibm.com"<Becky_Gibson@notesdev.ibm.com>
>     Inviato: 27/08/04 20.57.29
>     A: "'w3c-wai-gl'"<w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
>     Oggetto: [TECH] What is the WCAG stance on blinking?
>     
>     The WCAG HTML techniques document says, "Do not create 
> blinking content 
>     with the blink element. ".   There is an editorial note 
> that asks, "If 
>     this is because we disapprove of blink we should provide 
> an alternative 
>     technique. If it's because we disapprove of blinking, we 
> should say so and 
>     point to something. "
>     
>     While blinking can be very annoying, when used carefully 
> it is useful to 
>     bring attention (for sighted users, at least) to a 
> particular item on the 
>     page.  I certainly agree that the blink element should 
> not be used.  It is 
>     not in the HTML 4.01 nor XHTML 1.0 DTD and thus not 
> supported by all 
>     browsers.  What about blinking controlled via JavaScript? 
>  As long as the 
>     blinking does not violate the General Flash Threshold 
> (see Guideline 3.2 
>     Level 3 Success Criteria) I don't think WCAG should ban 
> its use.  We can 
>     at least provide a JavaScript technique for "responsible 
> blinking" that 
>     includes a way to turn it off. 
>     
>     The attached file has examples of using JavaScript and 
> CSS to create a 
>     blinking text element.   The file loads with blinking 
> turned off.  Use the 
>     buttons to toggle blinking on and off.  The JavaScript 
> blinking technique 
>     was tested and works in IE 6, Firefox 0.9.2, Mozilla 1.71 
> and 1.8a3, and 
>     Opera 7.54 all on Windows 2000. It also works with HPR 
> 3.04 (beta), JAWS 
>     4.51, and WindowEyes 4.5 sp3.  The screen readers always 
> seem to speak the 
>     blinking text even though the JavaScript  implementation 
> alternates the 
>     style from visibility:hidden to visibility:visible.
>     
>     If we agree that blinking is acceptable, I'll submit this 
> as a JavaScript 
>     technique. 
>     
>     (Note: There are several issues with the CSS 
> text-decoration:blink 
>     technique used in this file - I'll discuss that in a post 
> responding to 
>     issue #1021.)
>     
>     -becky
>     
>     
>     
>     
>     Becky Gibson
>     Web Accessibility Architect
>                                                            
>     IBM Emerging Internet Technologies
>     5 Technology Park Drive
>     Westford, MA 01886
>     Voice: 978 399-6101; t/l 333-6101
>     Email: gibsonb@us.ibm.com
>     
> 
> [Messaggio troncato. Toccare Modifica->Segna per il download 
> per recuperare la restante parte.]
> 
> 
>

Received on Sunday, 29 August 2004 14:41:30 UTC