Re: Animated GIFs and accessibility guidelines

At 02:37 PM 2001-03-04 -0500, Marti wrote:
>Caution here - stopping the gif also stops the download of the page (at
>least in IE and NN) not really an optimum solution.
>Marti

AG::

I think that's why Rob asked Adam for example techniques.  I think that they
are talking about things like un-checking "play animations" under Internet
Options / Advanced in IE.  Not hitting the View / Stop command interactively.

The User Agent Accessibility Guidelines [at least as of the current working
group draft] does say that suppressing the animation is a function the User
Agent should offer.

3. Allow configuration not to render some content that [...]
 <http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/UAAG10/#gl-feature-on-off>http://www.w3.org/WAI/
UA/UAAG10/#gl-feature-on-off

Al

>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Robert Neff" <robneff@home.com>
>To: "IG" <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
>Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2001 12:48 PM
>Subject: Re: Animated GIFs and accessibility guidelines
>
>
>> adam,
>>
>> do you have a list of 'how to stop' animated browsers with different web
>> browsers?
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "ADAM GUASCH-MELENDEZ" <ADAM.GUASCH@EEOC.GOV>
>> To: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2001 11:52 AM
>> Subject: Re: Animated GIFs and accessibility guidelines
>>
>>
>> > Animated GIFs shouldn't be a problem, since they can be stopped by any
>> browser that can display them (at least among the major browsers - I'm not
>> sure if this is true for WebTV or other "internet appliances").
>> >
>> > On the Bobby site, listing the sponsors wouldn't be appropriate for the
>> ALT text, but would be appropriate for a LONGDESC. The designers may have
>> decided that since the image is a link to detailed information about their
>> sponsors, that wasn't necessary. I'd say it's a judgement call, and an
>> defensible choice. However, running Bobby against that page, in the
>Priority
>> 1 User Checks it says:
>> >
>> >    "Do you have a descriptive (D) link in addition to LONGDESC?"
>> >
>> > which - regardless of conformance with the WAI guidelines - suggests
>that
>> the site doesn't actually implement what the Bobby designers consider to
>be
>> "best practices." There are several other areas, such as in the extensive
>> use of tables for layout, where the site appears to move away from
>> theoretical ideals. On the other hand, the site seems to work, which to me
>> is by far the most important concern. The WAI guidelines, are, after all,
>> guidelines. They're intended to help people develop accessible sites, but
>if
>> the focus becomes adherence to every checkpoint, instead of the overall
>goal
>> of accessibility, they've failed in their purpose.
>> >
>> > Another question related to that site - they've got a link to skip the
>> navigation stuff and go directly to the content, which is great. The link,
>> however, is a transparent gif, with the ALT text providing the description
>> of how it's to be used. Will screen readers currently in use pick this up
>> properly?
>> >
>> > >>> Brian Kelly <b.kelly@ukoln.ac.uk> 02/15/01 04:08AM >>>
>> > Guideline 7 at
>> > <http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/>http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/
>> > says
>> > "Ensure that moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating objects or
>> pages
>> > may be paused or stopped."
>> > and
>> > "Until user agents allow users to freeze moving content, avoid movement
>in
>> > pages."
>> >
>> > How does this apply to animated GIFs?
>> >
>> > Does it apply, for example, to the animated sponsorship ads at, for
>> example,
>> > <http://www.cast.org/bobby/>http://www.cast.org/bobby/
>> >
>> > I understood that movement on screens could cause screen readers to lose
>> > their focus.  Does this happen with animated GIFs?  If so, is this a
>> > concern?
>> >
>> > Also, while looking at the Bobby page, the alt text for the GIF simply
>> says
>> > "Scrolling list of sponsors, without mentioning their names (IBM,
>> Microsoft,
>> > etc.).  Again does this conform to the WAI guidelines?
>> >
>> > Like Nick, I don't want to pick on the Bobby site or the CAST staff, but
>> it
>> > is a Web site that those with interests in accessibility will look at.
>> >
>> > Thanks
>> >
>> > Brian (hoping this isn't an FAQ)
>> >
>> > --------------------------------------------------------------
>> > Brian Kelly
>> > UKOLN
>> > University of Bath
>> > BATH
>> > BA2 7AY
>> > Email: B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk
>> > Phone: (+44) 1225 323943
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>

Received on Sunday, 4 March 2001 15:29:21 UTC