Re: JavaScript and Accessibility

David,

Can you substantiate your perception that WAI scope is limited to 
static documents? (including forms)

The scope of WCAG* refers to "web content", and includes "scripting".

thanks

Jonathan

*http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/new-charter-2000.html#scope

extract:

produce next-generation normative guidelines for accessibility of Web 
content, including addressing issues of clarity raised since 
publication of WCAG 1.0;
*	collect, test, discuss and create techniques for WCAG-conformant 
content in XML, RDF, SMIL, SVG, MathML and other W3C Recommendations 
and scripting languages not yet addressed in the Techniques document;
*	produce updated non-normative supporting documents, including 
techniques documents and implementation tracking information;
*	coordinate with other groups including W3C groups writing guidelines, 
and EOWG regarding ease-of-use considerations in WCAG WG's development 
of WCAG 2.0.

On Friday, June 13, 2003, at 09:11  pm, David Woolley wrote:

>
>> a drop down list falls into this category, are you claiming this is 
>> not
>> a document?
>
> A drop down list is a form control, which, at best, is only part of
> a document.  Forms on the web really fall into a category separate from
> documents, especially if they are used for data collection, rather than
> to access a search facility.
>
> I think it is generally understood, though, that the scope of the
> WAI guidelines extends to forms as well as pure documents.
>
> Note, that, although menus are often implemented as pull down list,
> in my view, they are really nested lists, with a special styling, and
> it is a failure to understand this, combined with inadequate support
> to style lists collapsibly that has led to the use of select boxes.
>
> I have trouble understanding the use of "game" to refer to a pulldown
> list.
>
> To me, a document, is a unit of information designed to communicate all
> that information to the recipient.  A pull down menu only meets that
> requirement to the limited extent that it tells the recipient all the
> possible choices, when they may not have previously known them.  
> Although
> not so relevant in your case, my definition specifically excludes a
> computer program that seeks to keep the underlying knowledge a trade
> secret and only supply the results to the user; that one might call
> an "agent", or simply a program.
>
>> there is clearly an ill defined continuum, and we need to progress 
>> from
>> the work on documents.
>
> There ought to be existing standards that already cover things at the
> extremes of that continuum.  E.g. what rules exist for DVD menus or
> for X-Box games?
>
> You are complaining that restrictions on the use of scripting in web
> documents frustrates what you want to do, but I'm saying it may not,
> because what you are doing may fall outside the scope of standards on
> web documents, even though you are improvising by using tools that
> claim to be for handling web documents.  (Note that most "web browsers"
> have capabilities are that are aimed at meeting business wants that
> are not necessarily consistent with being a good *user* agent.)
>