RE: LIFT Text Transcoder

Patrick:
>It can serve as a set of guidelines/recommendations, but not as a standard.
>Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, but I think the distinction is important.
Sailesh:
Whether something is a standard or a guideline  depends on how it is
packaged and enforced. THE WCAG are packaged as guidelines but several
regard them as standards and when adopted as policy or coded into law,
pretty much become a standard. The S508 are in fact standards for the U.S.
gov. So I do not see why they cannot become standard elsewhere if one
chooses to implement them. I am not arguing about their technical adequacy
or superiority. So if an organization or country adopts certain portions of
the S508 rules and packages them as something  that they recommend, they
will remain guidelines. If enforced more strictly like a set of regulations
or law, they become standards.
 Sailesh Panchang
Deque Systems
Reston VA
-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org] On Behalf
Of Patrick H. Lauke
Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 5:19 PM
To: 'WAI Interest Group'
Subject: Re: LIFT Text Transcoder


Sailesh Panchang wrote:
> Well but it is  correct to say that S508 does not apply outside the U.S.
> because it is a U.S.law. Countries and organizations are at liberty to
> borrow  certain or all rules from S508 and stick it into their Web
> accessibility policy or legislation. In the U.S. too some universities,
> state and county governments have chosen to adopt S508 as their
> accessibility policy. That does not mean S508 legislation applies to them.

Yes, but the original question was:

>> Does Section 508 can serve for international standard for the web 
>> accessibility issues?

It can serve as a set of guidelines/recommendations, but not as a 
standard. Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, but I think the distinction is 
important.

-- 
Patrick H. Lauke
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Received on Wednesday, 1 March 2006 22:46:31 UTC