- From: Al Gilman <asgilman@access.digex.net>
- Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 17:12:58 -0400 (EDT)
- To: w3c-html-wg@w3.org, w3c-css-wg@w3.org
- Cc: w3c-wai-hc@w3.org
Here is an overview of the results of the accessibility review of
HTML4 and CSS2. Please use the copy on the Web at
http://www.w3.org/WAI/group/HC/report.html
to access details of proposals and rationale.
Thanks,
-- Al Gilman
for the HC team and the WAI
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Report of the HTML4/CSS2 Accessibility Review
_________________________________________________________________
Last revised October 22. 1997
This web page provides a guide to materials supporting the WAI review
of HTML4 and CSS2 recommendations nominated by the HC Working Group
and reviewed by the WAI Interest Group.
Pointers to detailed proposals is included. The recommendations are
summarized very tersely here, and decorated with a few links to
influential source materials.
This page will be maintained to try to keep it within 24 hours of
current with respect to current discussion during the period from
October 15th to Nov 10th.
How to use this document
Monitor this document at http://www.w3c.org/WAI/group/HC/guide.html.
Where this document refers to messages in the email archives, please
take advantage of the thread index to read related discussion before
and after the cited message.
If discussing these proposals in the HTML or CSS working groups,
please cross-post to w3c-wai-hc@w3.org as well.
Review of the issues
The five thread-starters have symbolic names to help keep the
discussions straight. Please use these naming conventions in your
replies to facilitate dialog on the list-serve. The threads are:
* OPTION -- Making SELECT structures with lots of OPTIONs
comprehensible
* TABLE -- Making TABLEs comprehensible
* DESC -- Text associated with images
* REF -- Associating HTML contents with external documents
* MEDIA -- Classifying user display and control
_________________________________________________________________
OPTION -- Making SELECT structures with lots of OPTIONs comprehensible.
Suggested WAI recommendations from HC Working Group:
* A choice of two proposals at the level of functionality comparable
to the original proposal.
* OPTION message sent to the IG mailing list on Oct 16th.
* Clarify what is actually critical for accessibility in this area
by discussion with the Interest Group.
* Original proposal from Megazone.
_________________________________________________________________
TABLE -- Making TABLEs comprehensible.
Suggested WAI recommendations from HC Working Group:
* TABLE message sent to the IG mailing list on Oct 16th.
* The baseline operational concept in the HC mail archives should
be regarded as having a rough consensus of support. The
implication is that the HTML should contain enough information for
browsers to perform these functions.
* Seek table reformatting functions from browser providers; refer
issue to WAI Browser Guidelines group for further work.
* add SCOPE attribute.
* Clarify summary attribute to say that where there is a caption,
the summary should be written as if it will be said after the
caption.
* address classes of tables (read by columns, read by rows, etc.) in
the markup guidelines using the existing CLASS attribute. Refer to
WAI Markup Guidelines group for further development, in
cooperation with the Browser Guidelines Working Group.
* Implement LINK and META enhancements in HTML4 to support
experimentation by the WAI activities.
_________________________________________________________________
DESC -- Text associated with images
Background -- for reference: variety of practices integrating image
descriptions and image alternatives with images in hypertext
literature. See the GL group area. Suggested WAI recommendations from
HC Working Group:
* DESC message sent to the IG mailing list on Oct 16th.
* Work with LONGDESC on IMG; normally inlined in the absense of
image display
* ADD TITLE and LONGDESC to FRAME and IFRAME
* OBJECT contents scanned for links with AREA on them which function
like a MAP entry when the image DATA of the object is displayed.
_________________________________________________________________
REF -- Associating HTML contents with external resources.
Uses or requirements:
* Data publishers may wish to link TABLE to a resource (URL) which
clarifies data usage in the table.
* It is not safe to assume that all tables in one HTML document are
to be associated with the same such data dictionary (or rough
equivalent).
* Audio output [in general, not just for persons with disabilities]
will want access to pronunciation dictionaries.
* Acronyms and foreign languages are other applications for such
links.
* Stylesheets selectively applied to quotes etc.
Suggested WAI recommendations from HC Working Group:
* REF message sent to the IG mailing list on Oct 16th.
* Seek review from RDF group
* Implement at least enough LINK and META enhancements to ensure
that dictionaries, including data dictionaries, can be TARGETed to
an arbitrary HTML container element.
_________________________________________________________________
MEDIA -- Classifying user display and control
Introduction to the MEDIA types issue.
Suggested WAI recommendations from HC Working Group:
* MEDIA message sent to the IG mailing list on Oct 17th.
* add another top-level media type named either CONSOLE or TTY for
character-grid and line-mode displays
* change wording around list of predefined MEDIA values to make the
list extensible. A browser _may_ ignore media indications that do
not match this list.
* Refer further work on how browser should handle this to browser
guidelines group.
_________________________________________________________________
Lesser issues
The following issues have been discussed in the HC group but appear to
be straighforward or otherwise not meriting a lot of discussion in the
brief time we have for Interest Group review.
Preserving the logical reading order of text.
Example of problems as documented in the TRACE guidelines.
Suggested WAI recommendations from HC Working Group:
* Browser functions to crack tables referred to Browser Guidelines
WG for refinement.
* Explicit order-of-reading markup of text fragments referred to
Markup Guidelines working group for consideration. LINK and META
enhancements to be implemented in in HTML4 to give the guidelines
group enough capability to work with.
For background, search The HC list archives for "order". Browse both
quarters; the thread runs over.
Image used as list bullet
The issue has to do with text alternatives to list bullets defined by
an image file.
Suggested WAI recommendations from HC Working Group:
* No change required to HTML.
* Continue work with CSS group in Markup Guidelines activity of WAI.
Controlling dynamic features
Gregg Vanderheiden copied over a good summary by Kelly Ford. For more
background search the webwatch-l digest archive for "dynamism".
Suggested WAI recommendations from HC Working Group:
Refer to Browser Guidelines and Markup Guidelines for further
consideration.
_________________________________________________________________
CSS2 review
The CSS2 spec being still under development, we haven't reached the
same level of reviewing in this area.
The HC message Regarding CSS2 summarizes our position.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Enter your e-mail address to receive e-mail (courtesy of NetMind) when
this page is updated: ____________________ ________
Daniel Dardailler, Project Manager of the W3C Web Accessibility
Initiative Working Group
Al Gilman, Chair of the WAI HTML4/CSS2 (HC) Review Working Group
Received on Wednesday, 22 October 1997 17:13:17 UTC