Re: Text links 2.4.4 with PDF's (Sample document) (and one link or multiple links to the destination)

On 08/08/2009 07:25, Chris Reeve wrote:
> Tim, it was a suggestion because the group at w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> <mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org> cannot reach an agreement on compliance. Have
> you thought about sending e-mails through cc (members of the group),
> ignoring me until an agreement is reached for 2.4.4.?

I think you've misunderstood the purpose of this group.

Only the text of WCAG 2.0 determines your conformance or non-conformance 
with WCAG 2.0.

Advice given in WAI Notes have no normative bearing on your conformance 
or non-conformance to WCAG 2.0.

The consensus or dissent of the membership of w3c-wai-ig has no 
normative bearing on your conformance or non-conformance with WCAG 2.

It's an interest group (http://www.w3.org/WAI/IG/charter); not an 
authority. Their opinions on what is required to meet WCAG 2.0 are 
informed opinions, but they are ultimately only opinions. Requests that 
w3c-wai-ig reach a state of consensus are unrealistic and requests that 
subscribers to w3c-wai-ig be removed from the group or the mailing lists 
for having dissenting opinions are extremely out of order.

If you believe that whether you are conforming or not conforming to a 
WCAG 2.0 requirement is unclear, it would help if you could raise that 
as comment on WCAG 2.0, as explained in the document:

"The Working Group requests that any comments be made using the provided 
online comment form [http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/comments/]. If this is 
not possible, comments can also be sent to 
public-comments-wcag20@w3.org. The archives for the public comments list 
[http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-comments-wcag20/] are 
publicly available. Comments received on the WCAG 2.0 Recommendation 
cannot result in changes to this version of the guidelines, but may be 
addressed in errata or future versions of WCAG. The Working Group does 
not plan to make formal responses to comments. Archives of the WCAG WG 
mailing list discussions 
[http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/] are publicly 
available, and future work undertaken by the Working Group may address 
comments received on this document."

http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/

If you believe WCAG 2.0 (the Recommendation) is clear, but Understanding 
WCAG 2.0 (the advisory Note) is unclear, it would help if you could 
raise that as a comment on Understanding WCAG 2.0, as explained in that 
document:

"The Working Group requests that any comments be made using the provided 
online comment form [http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/comments/]. If this is 
not possible, comments can also be sent to 
public-comments-wcag20@w3.org. The archives for the public comments list 
[http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-comments-wcag20/] are 
publicly available. Comments received on this document may be addressed 
in future versions of this document, or in another manner. The Working 
Group does not plan to make formal responses to comments. Archives of 
the WCAG WG mailing list discussions 
[http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/] are publicly 
available, and future work undertaken by the Working Group may address 
comments received on this document."

http://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/

Including a fuller explanation and test cases demonstrating your problem 
in your comment would help those writing future accessibility standards. 
For example, the WCAG working group (if rechartered by W3C) could 
produce an errata clarifying WCAG 2.0 or a new version of WCAG if 
substantial changes are required, or the WCAG working group could update 
Understanding WCAG 2.0 with new text.

Reading:

http://catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html : A guide to asking good 
questions.

http://webkit.org/quality/reduction.html : A guide to reducing complex 
problems to simple test cases.

and

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-comments-wcag20/ : the 
archives of previous feedback.

might help you in constructing useful feedback.

But such updates are unlikely to be forthcoming in time for your current 
development work. In the meantime, if you are trying to work out if your 
website meets contractual or other legal requirements that reference 
WCAG 2.0, ask a lawyer and err on the side of caution. Advice from this 
mailing list does not constitute a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

--
Benjamn Hawkes-Lewis

Received on Saturday, 8 August 2009 12:15:10 UTC