- From: Al Gilman <asgilman@access.digex.net>
- Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 12:16:59 -0400 (EDT)
- To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
What follows is the current text of a web page that we will be maintaining to clarify the state of HTML (and possibly CSS) requests to be communicated from the WAI to the HTML and CSS working groups. This page is on the web at http://www.w3c.org/WAI/group/HC/guide.html . Judy Brewer has explained the process. This message surveys the way we have grouped the issues. Five following messages will cover the major areas we are particularly asking you to comment on. Keep in touch with the reading guide through the week for a cumulative view of results. Thanks, -- Al Gilman, for the HTML4/CSS2 Review Working Group ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reading Guide for use in HTML4/CSS2 Accessibility Review Last revised October 16. 1997 This web page provides a guide to materials supporting the WAI Interest Group review of HTML4 and CSS2 recommendations nominated by the HC Working Group. The recommendations are summarized very tersely, 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 the IG list discussion during the period from October 15th to October 22nd. How to use this document Monitor this document at http://www.w3c.org/WAI/group/HC/guide.html to know the latest state of our work progress and plans. 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. Post email to w3c-wai-ig@w3.org to contribute to the Interest Group review of these issues and proposals. Review of the issues OPTION -- Making SELECT structures with lots of OPTIONs comprehensible. Suggested WAI recommendations from HC Working Group: * Propose something at the level of functionality comparable to the original proposal. * Clarify what is actually critical for accessibility in this area by discussion with the Interest Group. TABLE -- Making TABLEs comprehensible. 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. Suggested WAI recommendations from HC Working Group: * 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: * 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: * 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: * 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 bulletThe 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.
Received on Thursday, 16 October 1997 12:17:30 UTC