Re: Thorns pruned - thanks! [long]

From: "Kynn Bartlett" <kynn-edapta@idyllmtn.com>
To: "Steve Carter" <steve@juggler.net>; "wai-ig list" <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2002 5:12 PM
Subject: Re: Thorns pruned - thanks! [long]


> At 11:16 AM +0000 2/11/02, Steve Carter wrote:
> >  > Would it be just as wrong
> >  > to use <span> and CSS to set the font?
> >Given the above, no, because FONT tags are precluded by WAI guidelines,
> >whereas SPAN tags are permitted.
>
> Um...where's it say that?

http://www.w3c.org/TR/WCAG10/
...
3.2 Create documents that validate to published formal grammars. [Priority
2]
For example, include a document type declaration at the beginning of a
document that refers to a published DTD (e.g., the strict HTML 4.0 DTD).

3.3 Use style sheets to control layout and presentation. [Priority 2]
For example, use the CSS 'font' property instead of the HTML FONT element to
control font styles.
...
11.1 Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task
and use the latest versions when supported. [Priority 2]

>
> Yes, I know that <font> is deprecated in HTML 4.01, but the idea that
> <font size="+1"> is somehow worse than <span style="font-size: 24px">
> is simply ludicrous.

Well thanks for making a ludicrous suggestion :-)

> The spirit of the law is much more important than the letter of the law.

I'm walking a fine line - or traversing a locus in highly dimensional
space - here, between

(1) Real accessibility - 'inclusive design' as I have branded it
(2) Covering My Client's Ass in the event of being accused of neglecting it
(3) Meeting My Client's Self-Imposed Measuring-Stick (i.e. my client has
stated its pages will be WAI-AA compliant) while I can recommend a
slackening of that stricture, it is still the policy at this time and so I
have to educate the authors accordingly.
(4) Not winding up the web authors to the point where they decide they don't
want to bother at all.  I won't be asked back, WAI-AA won't be met, and
Accessibility will suffer a PR blow as people decide it's just too much.
(5) Not upsetting my contact in order to get asked back again!

Received on Monday, 11 February 2002 12:54:18 UTC