- From: Jason White <jasonw@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU>
- Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 09:29:24 +1100 (AEDT)
- To: WAI HC Working Group <w3c-wai-hc@w3.org>
I think it can be generally agreed by all participants in this discussion that the ICADD DTD is far too limited for present, let alone future needs, and that a solution is required which can evolve with technology. Assuming that authors are unlikely to write speech and/or braille style sheets for their custom-developed DTD's, there is a need to convert the semantic content of the XML document into a form to which pre-existing braille and audio style sheets can be applied. Judging from the WAI meeting minutes, it appears that the ICADD group regards HTML as the most promising intermediate format. Since HTML will continue to evolve, it would be possible to improve the quality of such transformations as the scope and flexibility of HTML improves. However, it should also be expected that specific braille and audio style sheets will be created which correspond to widely used XML DTD's. Thus, the conversion of documents into HTML should be regarded as a secondary option which is applicable only where the developer of the DTD is not prepared or does not have the expertise with which to develop full braille and audio style sheet support. I understand this to be essentially the ICADD position, and it seems to be quite reasonable and practical. An attempt was made by ICADD late last year, as documented on their web site, to develop a transformation from HTML 3.2 to the ICADD 22 DTD. Although some positive developments may have emerged from this work, its fundamental premise that accessibility would be well served by converting HTML documents into the ICADD format is clearly mistaken. Rather, it is HTML which, at least in the short term, is likely to become the predominant structured document format, for which audio and, eventually, braille style sheets will be written. To the extent that document transformations are needed in order to achieve access, HTML should be the destination. This however is not to underestimate the importance of XML in its own right and the need to make adequate provision in XML for braille and audio output. The ICADD site is at http://www.cm.spyglass.com/doc/icadd.html
Received on Wednesday, 26 November 1997 17:29:47 UTC